نسرين شاهين

Our cause is not a competition between associations, and we do not reject any move that serves the interest of the teacher and the student, but we reject selectivity in defending rights, and we reject that union movements turn into arbitrary decisions. The issue of the teachers who were suspended from work, and the issue of thousands of students who are still out of classrooms, is one indivisible issue. Therefore, the Association of Contract Teachers will continue its movements in coordination with parents and students, in a way that serves the interest of the teacher, the public school, and every child's right to education.

We do not oppose the move in defense of afternoon shift teachers or refugee students; rather, we affirm our full support for their rights. But we ask: Where were these associations when thousands of Lebanese students were left out of classrooms, and when 3,500 teachers were deprived of practicing their work? Has priority become linked to the source of funding, while the rights of students and teachers in basic public education before noon are left aside?

The paradox is that the school year began about a month ago, while tens of thousands of public school students and 3,500 teachers are still out of classrooms, as a result of the Education Minister's decision, without us hearing a clear position from the Owners' Associations that reject this reality, or witnessing serious action from them in defense of students' right to education and teachers' right to work.