Posted by redrose64 at
02 July 2010
BEIRUT: The Secondary Teachers Association (STA) will suspend boycotting the correction of Grade 12 official exams starting from Saturday, according to Education Minister Hassan Mneimneh.
He made the announcement on Thursday after attending a meeting between Prime Minister Saad Hariri, a delegation from the STA’s administrative committees headed by the body’s chief Hanna Gharib, a delegation from Vocational Training Teachers Association headed by George Qalosh along with members from Association of Private School Teachers led by Nehmeh Mahfoud.
Mneimneh said Hariri and the teachers has reached an agreement by which vocational and secondary teachers would be granted a 4.5- level promotion, adding that the settlement would be considered valid starting from January 1, 2010.
Mneimneh said the money payments required in accordance with the promotion would be paid over two installments per year.
The STA members have been demanding salary increases that would dramatically improve their professional ranking by seven levels, but the Cabinet has said it would only approve a limited pay increase matching a 4-level promotion.
The STA earlier reversed a decision to boycott the setting of standards for correcting, as well as the correction of Grade 9 official exams. It said it was ready to take a similar move with regard to Grade 12 official exams, should their demands be met soon. Teachers have also expressed their full readiness for dialogue with the Cabinet.
Earlier this week, talks were held between Mneimneh and Gharib with no positive results.
After the meeting, Gharib announced that the STA would boycott setting standards for correcting along with correcting Grade 12 official exams.
Delegations from parental committees have repeatedly visited Mneimenh’s office protesting STA’s escalatory move and expressing concern over the academic future of their children who had taken Grade 12 official exams.
In response, Gharib has always assured parents that teachers would devote extra hours to correct the exams once a solution was reached.
“We hope that teachers will fulfill their previous promise and accelerate the correction [of exams],” said Mneimneh.
Meanwhile, Gharib said the deal was a settlement “that enabled STA teachers to gain one-third of their demands.”
“But this agreement will not be put into effect if it does not receive the approval of testing committees, and correctors who will meet in a general assembly [tomorrow],” added Gharib.
Gharib said the STA’s executive committee had not suspended its decision to boycott setting standards for correcting along with correcting Grade 12 official exams, but would recommend that STA’s central council of delegates and correctors suspend the boycott starting from Saturday morning
“[STA’s] executive committee is called to meet tomorrow [Friday] to discuss this recommendation in light of the agreement that we will forward to it,” said Gharib.
Mahfoud said the solution was a compromise that pleased all sides, voicing his belief that teachers had not received all their rights.
“This solution guarantees part of the teachers’ rights, ensures that students will receive their [official] certificates as soon as possible, and takes into consideration the economic situation in the country,” he said.
Separately, Hariri received a delegation from the General Labor Confederation (GLC) headed by its Chief Ghassan Ghosn. The meeting was attended by the ministerial committee tasked with studying demands of the GLC.
The committee comprised Finance Minister Rayya Hassan, Economy Minister Mohammad Safadi, Minister of State for Administrative Reform Mohammad Fneish, Labor Minister Butros Harb and ministers of state Youssef Saade and Adnan al-Qassar.
Earlier, the GLC revoked a call for a general strike that was to be held on June 17 in protest against the economic policy of the government, which the GLC said relied heavily on taxation.
The protest was cancelled after the formation of the ministerial committee by the Cabinet.
© Copyright The Daily Star 2010.