Dozens of assistant teachers at Ain Shams University demonstrated yesterday in front of the office of University President Ahmed Zaki Badr to protest his decision to transfer 400 of them to administrative jobs.
The protesters threatened to stage a third protest at the office of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Hani Helal, after Badr refused to meet with them. They held banners appealing for President Mubarak’s intervention.
“The decision of the university head to transfer almost 400 assistant teachers to administrative jobs was surprising,” said Ahmed Abdel Rahman, assistant teacher at the Faculty of Commerce.
The law regulating university affairs states that assistant teachers may be transferred to administrative positions if they do not receive a master’s degree within five years.
The university president wrongly applied the law, interpreting it literally and not following the guidance of the State Council General Assembly, according to Abdel Rahman. The five-year deadline is not set in stone but should be subject to the discretion of the competent authority represented in the department council and the college council. The department council had agreed to extend the deadline, Abdel Rahman pointed out.
The teaching staff accused the university head of squandering public funds as the order for transferal involved teachers and assistant teachers who were working abroad. Badr stopped their monthly salaries and asked them to return to Egypt without completing their assignments, after each of them had spent almost LE500,000, the staff said.
The protesting teachers held banners reading: “We appeal for President Mubarak’s intervention,” “No to squandering public funds,” and “Down with this unjust decision.”
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
