Iraq: Teachers should be respected and paid for a healthy society
During a recent seminar, “The educational process: What’s needed in the Kurdistan’s Region?”, Kurdistan Teachers’ Union (KTU) President Abdulwahed Mohammad Haje emphasized the crucial role of teachers in shaping societies and leading them towards progress and prosperity. Drawing inspiration from global leaders and scholars, he highlighted the importance of education in building a strong and successful nation.
Talking about the situation in the education sector, Haje noted that there are 170,000 teachers and two million students in the Iraqi region of Kurdistan.
He also explained that the biggest issues plaguing the educational system in this region are the facts that the government does not allocate and appropriate budget for the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, teachers' salaries are constantly delayed – August’s salaries have not been paid yet, and the Kurdistan Regional Government has suspended any increase in teachers' salaries since 2016.
Haje further urged the leaders of Kurdistan are to recognize the significance of education and the role of teachers in building a healthy society.
For the KTU leader, by following the examples set by other nations, Kurdistan can achieve progress and prosperity. The foundational principles of education must be applied systematically and scientifically to ensure a bright future for the region, he highlighted.
He also said that “a situation where teachers, who are supposed to be mentors and leaders, lose their essential role and identity, becoming mere figures of authority without the ability to effectively guide,” must be avoided.
Concluding that the respect and value placed on teachers are crucial for the development and success of any society, Haje called on Iraqi Kurdistan's leaders “to consider the significance of knowledge and wisdom in achieving a respectable and valuable life, and to prioritize education and support teachers to build a prosperous and progressive society”.
