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Teachers slam education minister’s promise to raise salaries as ‘misleading’

By JT - Jul 23,2019 - Last updated at Jul 23,2019

AMMAN — The Jordan Teachers Association (JTA) on Monday described Education Minister Walid Maani's promise to improve teachers' conditions as "misleading". 

In a press release, the JTA said that the minister talked with a group of MPs, announcing that the government wants to increase teachers' salaries through a by-law, which they described as a "fake improvement", due to cuts in benefits. 

The council to draft the by-law comprises 15 members, 12 of which are chosen by the minister, the JTA said, noting that the association has only one member in the council. 

The JTA said that promotions are directly related to the budget and available vacancies, noting that the budget has not allowed for promotions for many decades and that vacancies are only available for a few. 

If a teacher does not pass a promotion test to receive a raise, they must wait two years to take the test again, the press release said, adding that all incentives are cancelled if the teacher fails the test for any reason. 

Incentives are paid out through something called a "lore tax", which is also used to pay for many other things, leaving little to nothing for the teachers, according to the JTA. 

The by-law will also reduce the "education allowance" from 100 to 50 per cent, and it will not be increased as has been promised, the association claimed, adding that when teachers are first hired, they need three years to begin "reaping  the benefits" from the professional track. 

The JTA reiterated that the education allowance is a right that teachers deserve and that improving their living conditions is a national necessity, which can be achieved by "respecting the awareness and understanding of Jordanians".

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