Volunteer teachers in Kirkuk march for contract jobs and job security

KIRKUK, Iraq — Dozens of volunteer teachers in Kirkuk held a protest on Thursday demanding that they be appointed to contract positions, a measure they say has been granted to teachers in other Iraqi cities. The demonstration began in the Rashid Domez area and proceeded toward the Kirkuk city building, where teachers called on the Ministry of Education and federal and local authorities to formalize their employment. Protester Mustafa Mohammed al-Azawi said unpaid teachers had been delivering education services for years and helping ease staffing shortages in schools. He said the group deserves to be moved onto contract status with proper job security. Another protester, Israa Jabbar, said volunteer teachers have continued working under difficult conditions while receiving no financial benefits. She urged authorities to appoint them on the same contract basis as other education-sector employees. The teachers said the years of voluntary service without pay amount to unfair treatment and asked the Ministry of Education to resolve their cases promptly. No immediate response from the ministry was reported.