Teachers are being blackmailed into signing an additional contract, waiving their rights and agreeing to reduce their salaries if private schools switch to distant learning due to the coronavirus crisis.

The additional contract includes a clause that says: “The school has the right to set the value of the salary as it deems fit without any consideration for the teacher's circumstances, in the event that education is switched to distance learning.”

Many teachers reported that a large number of private schools cancelled their contracts at the end of the school year to avoid paying salaries during summer break, in addition to deducting social security installments and rejecting annual leave requests.

The Ministry of Education’s law states: “If any private educational institution violates any provision of this law, or any system issued pursuant to it, the minister shall warn [the school] to [resolve] this violation within two weeks from the date of receiving the warning."

If the violation continues, the ministry may shut down the institution for a period it deems appropriate or revoke its license, states the law.

The minister's decision is subject to appeal before the Supreme Court of Justice.

The head of the Private School Owners’ Syndicate, Munther Al-Sourani, said forcing teachers to sign a contract attachment, in which there is an explicit violation of the law, is invalid.

There is a unified contract approved by the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Education in coordination with the Syndicate of Private School Owners, he added.

"The teacher has the right to sue any school that forces him to sign a contract attachment," Sourani added.

Defence Orders issued during the COVID-19 pandemic included mechanisms for paying worker salaries in the private school sector, considering the current exceptional circumstances.

The current enrollment rate in private schools ranges from 20% to 50%, Sourani said.

"Schools are in a very difficult situation, especially since there is only one week left for the opening date of school," he said.