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Benghazi, 3 March 2013:
Teachers and other staff at 27 schools in Tocra, east of Benghazi, have gone on strike in protest . . .[restrict]against the lack of security in schools. They are also protesting at other problems faced by schools.
The strike started on Thursday following an incident the previous day when a school teacher was attacked. According to the Benghazi-based paper, Quryna, he was hit on the head by a stone, causing a deep wound, as a result of a fight when an unemployed young man tried to force his way into the mixed school to harass female students.
The striking schools in the Tocra education sector include those in Sidi Ali, Diriana, Assira Al-Hamra, Almabna, Bersis, Ahamda and Tocra. A number of the sector’s administration managers and school head teachers staged a protest to demand the strengthening of security in schools.
The Director of Tocra Education Sector, Yusuf Sulaiman said that schools were facing a number of problems on regular bases as a result of a lack of security.
“Such an assault on the person of a school principal or a teacher was not the first of its kind, for many teachers were subjected to similar attacks,” he said. “We will not end our protest until the relevant authorities respond to our demands and put an end to this security chaos and these infringements on educational institutions. We want the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior to come and discuss the situation with us.”
Muftah Mohamed Adam, head of Mujahid Hamid Khafifi school in Diriana area, said, “We’re here today to show solidarity with a school master who was physically abused. Schools will not reopen again until proper measures has been taken by the Libyan government. ”
Other school principals and teachers in Tocra education sector similarly condemned the security chaos and the poor quality education services provided to schools. [/restrict]
