Aleppo Teachers Stage Protest Over Tenure and Contract Reform Policies
A group of educators in the Syrian governorate of Aleppo gathered for a peaceful protest on Monday to voice their grievances regarding recent administrative decisions affecting their job security and employment status. The demonstration highlighted growing frustration among teaching staff over the criteria used for tenure and the integration of contract workers into the permanent public education system.
The core of the demonstrators’ concerns lies in the stringent requirements set by the authorities for full-time employment status. Specifically, many teachers expressed opposition to the current policy that mandates a record of 500 days of actual attendance as a prerequisite for being considered for permanent tenure. Many of the participants argued that this threshold fails to account for the unique challenges faced by educators who have served in the region for years, often under difficult conditions.
Abdullah al-Hussein, a school director in the al-Ghandoura district who joined the protest, emphasized the disparity between the administrative criteria and the professional realities on the ground. Representing decades of experience in the education sector, al-Hussein called for a comprehensive review of the files belonging to those who have been excluded from the current integration process. He stressed that the authorities need to re-examine the financial and professional standing of veteran teachers who remain outside the scope of existing job security programs.
Other educators, including teacher Fadi al-Kayali al-Rifa’i, echoed these sentiments, urging officials to re-evaluate the exclusion of certain staff members from the tenure track. Their demands included not only a reconsideration of the integration process but also an urgent appeal for authorities to address outstanding wage concerns for previous periods.
In response to the demonstration, the deputy director of the Aleppo Education Directorate, Mohammed Abdul Rahman, met with the participants to clarify the administrative position. He maintained that the regulations governing the current round of hiring and tenure are based on specific, non-negotiable criteria. According to the Directorate, the current policy requires that eligible staff must have been actively employed as of January 1, 2024, and must meet the established 500-day threshold of actual on-site service. The official indicated that those who fail to meet these specific benchmarks remain ineligible for the current phase of the integration or tenure program.
The protest underscores the broader tension within Syria’s public sector, where reforms to employment structures often collide with the practical realities of a workforce that has endured years of regional instability. As the education sector in Aleppo attempts to stabilize its workforce, the struggle for equitable employment recognition remains a focal point for many teachers seeking both career advancement and improved financial security. The protesters concluded their rally by reiterating their demand for a more flexible and humanitarian approach to reviewing individual employment files, advocating for reforms that better reflect their long-term service to the Syrian education system.
