Employee union’s report alleges health code violations at some private schools

AMMAN — The General Trade Union of Private Education Employees in a report on Wednesday said that it has taken notice of several violations of the health protocols in some private schools.

The Education Ministry issued regulations in March regarding safety protocols, dictating teachers work be limited to 20 per cent of their regular working hours.

The violations include “forcing” some teachers to work from school premises instead of taking shifts and working from home, putting teachers’ lives at risk, the report said.

In the report, Loay Al Ramahi, head of the teachers’ committee at the union, said that a private school in Amman is allegedly forcing all teachers to work daily from 7:30am till 2pm, in violation of the regulations issued by the Ministry of Education due to the pandemic, despite the fact that a number of staff have tested positive for COVID, the report said.

The union member called for allowing working mothers to work from home, as instructed by the Labour Ministry.

Ramahi also urged strict monitoring of schools’ adherence to health protocols.

A teacher at a private school, who preferred to remain anonymous, told The Jordan Times that the teachers in their school had been working from school every day until two weeks ago when the school finally switched to shift system.

“We are risking our safety. Additionally, the school does not inform us when there is a new coronavirus case,” the teachers said.

“I can do my job with the same efficiency from home, and that will also allow me to care for my son who is distantly learning from home,” she added.

On the other hand, there are many schools that comply with the regulations. Ahmad Yousef, a math teacher, works from school once a week and spends the rest of his workdays working from home.

“I work from campus one day a week and for the rest of the time I work from home,” he told The Jordan Times.