More than 300 teachers in southern Hama countryside at risk of losing their jobs

More than 300 teachers contracted with the Ministry of Education in the southern countryside of Hama are facing the risk of losing their jobs after their contracts were not renewed. The decision has sparked concern and frustration among teachers, particularly those who have spent years working in education and rely on their salaries as their primary source of livelihood.

Teacher Mira Abu al-Jadayel from the city of Masyaf said: “I applied to renew my contract, like many colleagues whose contracts had been renewed by the Ministry of Education in previous years. However, we were surprised when the Education Complex and its director refused to renew the contracts without any official explanation or clear justification.”

Mira, who has more than six years of teaching experience, added: “I have taught for many years and gained extensive field experience, but the rejection came without prior warning, as if all those years of service had never existed.”

Teacher Mohammad Nasra, whose contract dates back to 2020, recounted his experience, saying: “I used to renew my contract every year without any problems. So, what has changed this year?”

He appealed to the Ministry of Education, saying: “We call for a review of the files of those whose contracts were not renewed and for the actual experience of each teacher to be taken into consideration. The years they have spent working in the education sector must be counted, while also taking into account the social and living conditions of teachers who depend on their salaries as their sole source of income.”

Meanwhile, teacher Suzan Ammar from the Masyaf countryside described her situation, saying: “For me, this contract is not simply a job. I am the sole breadwinner for my family. I have children and heavy responsibilities. I was shocked when my contract was not renewed, and I will have no other source of income from now on. All we are asking for is a humane consideration of the circumstances of people whose lives have become dependent on this salary.”

These demands come at a time when several areas of Hama Governorate have witnessed protests by dozens of contracted teachers, who called for a review of the situation of those whose contracts were not renewed and for the establishment of a clear and stable mechanism for the future of contracted teachers. They also called for the permanent confirmation of contracts and an end to the annual uncertainty experienced by teachers.

The objections are not limited to the southern countryside of Hama. Other Syrian governorates have recently witnessed similar movements by contracted teachers.

In Daraa, a number of male and female teachers protested on August 9 outside the Directorate of Education after 119 contracted teachers out of a total of 3,150 educational contracts were excluded from the renewal decision.

The protesters demanded that they be allowed to return to teaching and that their contracts be renewed, while the Directorate of Education said that the contracts that were not renewed had failed to meet the conditions set by the Ministry of Education.

Other governorates, including Latakia, Tartus, Idlib, and Raqqa, have also witnessed demonstrations and sit-ins by contracted teachers. Their demands have focused on granting teachers permanent employment, renewing contracts, improving their employment conditions, and ending the instability associated with annual contracts. Teachers in Hasakah had previously called for an end to the temporary contract system and for permanent employment.

These protests follow the Ministry of Education's issuance, on June 14, of Decision No. 1601 concerning the renewal of educational contracts concluded with contracted teachers. The decision set the period for submitting renewal applications from July 1 to July 15, with applications to be submitted to the Directorate of Education with which the teachers had originally contracted.

The decision required the submission of several documents, including the academic certificate on the basis of which the contract was concluded, a certificate confirming the absence of a criminal conviction, a certificate confirming that the applicant was not employed elsewhere, and a document confirming that the teacher was currently in active service. Renewal was also linked to the actual need for teaching positions within the directorates.

On July 28, the ministry issued a new decision stipulating the renewal of educational contracts for contracted teaching staff effective September 1, 2026. It required renewals to take place exclusively at the original place of contracting and stipulated that the work must be in a teaching capacity and involve actual teaching only, provided that there were a vacancy and an actual need, and that the teacher's academic specialization matched the subject they teach.

When the ministry began receiving applications, it explained that the renewal mechanism was intended to link contracts to the actual needs of schools and the required specializations, while assessing the needs of each area and school based on student numbers and actual vacancies.

In contrast, the ministry explained that the failure to renew some contracts was related either to applicants not meeting the required conditions or to the absence of an actual need in certain centers. This was particularly evident in Daraa, where the Directorate of Education said that 3,150 contracts had been renewed, while 119 contracts were excluded from the renewal decision because their holders did not meet the specified requirements.

Teachers in the southern countryside of Hama believe that the years of experience they have accumulated in schools should be a key factor when their files are reviewed. They are calling on the Ministry of Education to reconsider the contracts that were not renewed, verify teachers' actual experience, and take their social and living conditions into account.

These demands coincide with the Ministry of Education's acknowledgment that a fundamental resolution of the employment, financial, and retirement conditions of contracted teachers requires relevant legislation, particularly the new Civil Service Law, which is expected to regulate appointment, permanent employment, and employment rights.

More than 300 teachers in the southern countryside of Hama remain awaiting a review of their files, amid demands that the new decisions take into account the years of experience they have spent in the education sector and their social circumstances, and that they put an end to the employment instability contracted teachers face with the beginning of each new academic year.

ANHA