The Syrian Ministry of Education has announced the reinstatement of more than 20,000 employees who were dismissed in the past, allegedly because of their pro-revolution positions. This process was declared a moral and administrative priority. An electronic registration system was launched to account for all those affected; around 27,000 people have registered through it both inside the country and abroad, and applications continue to be accepted.
The process is organized jointly with the Ministry of Administrative Development. Those registered are being organized into cohorts: the first included about 14,000 people, evenly split between the northern regions (Idlib, northern Aleppo) and other provinces. To facilitate returns, local committees have been set up, allowing former employees to apply to the education directorate in the province where they wish to work, not necessarily at their former workplace. The minister issued a circular permitting all registrants to begin work even if their names are not yet on the final lists, while verification committees complete their work.
The main goal is to restore the rights of those who were dismissed for political reasons. A distinction is being made between those who were previously permanent employees and those who worked on fixed-term contracts, and dismissals on criminal grounds are excluded. For many, the reinstatement is initially formalized through short-term contracts of three months. This provides time for thorough document checks and the detection of possible fraudulent claims. Those whose dismissals are officially confirmed to have been politically motivated will subsequently receive permanent status.
The process faces difficulties, such as complaints about lost or concealed documents due to practices of the former regime, as well as cases of false claims of political motivation for dismissal, which delay procedures. Issues related to compensation for lost years of service, salary increases and pension rights have been referred to a special committee. At the same time, there is an acute need for teaching staff in the country: about 45,000 teachers currently work under temporary contracts, and the reopening of 1,400 repaired schools has created additional vacancies that are being prioritized for returning specialists.
The ministry has also ordered that reinstated teachers be paid compensation equal to 40% of their monthly salary, starting from the date the right arose, as provided by law. The ministry leadership emphasizes that employment stability is a priority and states its intention to prevent unfair dismissals in the future. Officials call on all educators to cooperate as partners in rebuilding the country and restoring the education system to its primary role.
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What is the role and authority of the Ministry of Administrative Development in Syria, and why is this ministry involved in the process of reinstating teachers? - The Ministry of Administrative Development in Syria is responsible for public administration, the civil service and administrative reforms. It is involved in reinstating teachers because public school teachers in Syria are considered civil servants, and their employment matters (including dismissals, hiring and compensation) are regulated by that ministry, not the Ministry of Education, which oversees curricula and schools.
Why were teachers from northern regions, such as Idlib and northern Aleppo, placed in a separate cohort, and how is education administration organized today in these territories that were previously not under government control? - Teachers from northern regions were set aside separately because these territories (for example, Idlib and northern Aleppo) were previously controlled by opposition groups during the conflict, and alternative educational administrations operated there. After the government restored control over these areas, education administration was reintegrated into the state system: schools came under the supervision of the Syrian Ministry of Education, curricula were unified, and teachers are undergoing verification and reinstatement through state procedures.
On which specific law or regulation does the ministry base the 40% monthly salary compensation, and how have issues of redress for politically motivated dismissals historically been regulated in Syrian labor law? - The 40% monthly salary compensation is likely based on the Syrian Labor Code or special decrees governing compensation for civil servants. In Syrian labor law, issues of redress for politically motivated dismissals have historically been regulated by civil service laws and decrees related to emergency measures, but specific provisions can vary by period and political context, often providing for compensation or reinstatement through administrative decisions.
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