After a 4 week long winter break from classes the second semester of the 2011-2012 school year was officially scheduled start yesterday, February 6, 2012. School did not start yesterday, however, nor did it start today, as Ministry of Education teachers throughout the country have observed a strike in response to the government's salary restructuring plan.
In the interests of safety and security, I am not allowed to express my opinion on why the teachers are striking nor why the Ministry of Education feels it cannot meet the demands of the teachers. For more information on the background of the current strike, I encourage you to peruse several of the following articles:
I can, however, describe to you what I have observed in just these first two days of the teachers' strike and how a strike here differs from a strike in the United States.
I'm still learning how things work in Jordan but the strike bears little resemblance to any strike that I have been aware of, or taken part in, in the United States. When I think of a strike in the US, I conjure up images of teachers that refuse to enter work (and thus not receive pay) who stand on the picket-lines and loudly and visually make their demands known to any passers-by, students, or "replacement" teachers (scabs) while a union-based bargaining unit enters into heated negotiations with the leadership and administration (who not being a part of the teachers' union, do not participate in the strike).
From what I have observed, this in no way resembles the Jordanian concept of a strike. The only aspect from my previous paragraph that does exist here is the fact that there is some sort of bargaining unit participating in on-going talks with the Ministry of Education. There is not, however, any sort of representative teachers' union. There is a body known as the Teachers Association Council, but from what I understand the teachers in my village have no influence over the actions of said council.
In terms of the picket-lines and possible replacement teachers, this concept is just flat-out non-existent in my village. This is quite surprising me to as several times a week I receive messages to avoid certain areas due to demonstrations taking place. The people who live in Jordan regularly engage in organized public protest, but the teachers in my village have not chosen this as the path by which they will carry out their strike.
What teachers, administrators, and support staff at my school have chosen to do is come to school and ignore the students. For the past two days, all we have done as a staff is hang out in the teachers' lounge and the principal's office and chat (which has been quite fun and has provided a great opportunity for me to get to know the teachers better). Yesterday, all the students came to school and stayed for a couple hours. Today less than half showed up and didn't even stay for an hour. In these past two days I have not observed a single teacher interact with a single student. Interestingly, however, teachers have been diligent about signing-in at the beginning of the day and signing-out at the end of the day, which leads me to believe that teachers are still being paid for showing up to work despite the fact that they are not working.
While the Jordanian teachers call this a strike, from my American background, I would call this a sit-in. Nevertheless, I am hesitant to use this term as a sit-in is meant to be disruptive and last indefinitely, whereas in my village the teachers have not disrupted anything except their own classes and actually leave work an hour or two earlier than they normally would once all the students have certainly left. Furthermore, the teachers have not made any real sacrifice (unless I am misunderstood and they in fact are not receiving their salary for the day's work).
Who knows how long this strike will last? Will I start going to classes tomorrow? Will I start going to classes next week? Will the Ministry of Education give teachers all the salary they are asking for? Will teachers relinquish some demands in order to come to compromise? These are all questions that no one in my village has a definitive answer to. The teachers at my school have told me that they will continue to strike as long as the news tells them they are supposed to strike. As soon as they hear on the news that they are expected to teach, then they will begin teaching.
In the interests of safety and security, I am not allowed to express my opinion on why the teachers are striking nor why the Ministry of Education feels it cannot meet the demands of the teachers. For more information on the background of the current strike, I encourage you to peruse several of the following articles:
- Public schools quiet as teachers go ahead with strike - February 7, 2012
- Teachers strike to go ahead as new semester begins; parents confused - February 6, 2012
- Public schoolteachers to strike at start of next term - January 25, 2012
- Teachers protests against salary restructuring plan - January 18, 2012
- Private sector teachers to grade Tawjihi exams as public educators continue protest - January 16, 2012
- Educators reject "unfair" salary restructuring - January 12, 2012
I can, however, describe to you what I have observed in just these first two days of the teachers' strike and how a strike here differs from a strike in the United States.
I'm still learning how things work in Jordan but the strike bears little resemblance to any strike that I have been aware of, or taken part in, in the United States. When I think of a strike in the US, I conjure up images of teachers that refuse to enter work (and thus not receive pay) who stand on the picket-lines and loudly and visually make their demands known to any passers-by, students, or "replacement" teachers (scabs) while a union-based bargaining unit enters into heated negotiations with the leadership and administration (who not being a part of the teachers' union, do not participate in the strike).
From what I have observed, this in no way resembles the Jordanian concept of a strike. The only aspect from my previous paragraph that does exist here is the fact that there is some sort of bargaining unit participating in on-going talks with the Ministry of Education. There is not, however, any sort of representative teachers' union. There is a body known as the Teachers Association Council, but from what I understand the teachers in my village have no influence over the actions of said council.
In terms of the picket-lines and possible replacement teachers, this concept is just flat-out non-existent in my village. This is quite surprising me to as several times a week I receive messages to avoid certain areas due to demonstrations taking place. The people who live in Jordan regularly engage in organized public protest, but the teachers in my village have not chosen this as the path by which they will carry out their strike.
What teachers, administrators, and support staff at my school have chosen to do is come to school and ignore the students. For the past two days, all we have done as a staff is hang out in the teachers' lounge and the principal's office and chat (which has been quite fun and has provided a great opportunity for me to get to know the teachers better). Yesterday, all the students came to school and stayed for a couple hours. Today less than half showed up and didn't even stay for an hour. In these past two days I have not observed a single teacher interact with a single student. Interestingly, however, teachers have been diligent about signing-in at the beginning of the day and signing-out at the end of the day, which leads me to believe that teachers are still being paid for showing up to work despite the fact that they are not working.
While the Jordanian teachers call this a strike, from my American background, I would call this a sit-in. Nevertheless, I am hesitant to use this term as a sit-in is meant to be disruptive and last indefinitely, whereas in my village the teachers have not disrupted anything except their own classes and actually leave work an hour or two earlier than they normally would once all the students have certainly left. Furthermore, the teachers have not made any real sacrifice (unless I am misunderstood and they in fact are not receiving their salary for the day's work).
Who knows how long this strike will last? Will I start going to classes tomorrow? Will I start going to classes next week? Will the Ministry of Education give teachers all the salary they are asking for? Will teachers relinquish some demands in order to come to compromise? These are all questions that no one in my village has a definitive answer to. The teachers at my school have told me that they will continue to strike as long as the news tells them they are supposed to strike. As soon as they hear on the news that they are expected to teach, then they will begin teaching.
The strike continues today and into the weekend, and may very well continue into next week. Among other things, the government has issued an edict today stating that striking workers, including teachers, will not be allowed to receive pay on days they do not work. It is still unclear when this edict will take effect. It is also unclear whether or not Sunday will be a regular school day or a fifth day of the strike.
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