Iran Teachers' Union Calls For Demo On Tuesday Against Members Being Jailed

A teachers’ union in Iran has called for a demonstration on Tuesday against the imprisonment of members of the profession.

The Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers' Trade Associations said teachers should gather in protest in front of the parliament in Tehran and education ministry departments in other cities.

In recent weeks, Iran's security forces have violently attacked teachers’ protests in Tehran and other cities detaining several demonstrators.

While calling for better salaries and working conditions, the teachers’ council also stated that Iran’s education system will not improve without a fundamental change. The union urged an end to the "dominance of the ruling totalitarian ideology" in Iranian schools.

Earlier, the union had called for further protests just hours after the Supreme Leader failed to address nationwide school poisonings in his speech on Wednesday.

Khamenei had been speaking at an event for the Islamic Republic’s National Teachers’ Day with a cherry-picked group of teachers. During the meeting, Khamenei discussed the country’s education system but failed to even mention the months of gas attacks against the schools across Iran which have left thousands of schoolgirls sick and hospitalized.

Scores of schools in many of the country’s provinces have been attacked by unidentified chemicals since November 30 when the first case of poisoning among schoolgirls was reported in the religious city of Qom.

The union also voiced support for the recent wave of protests by teachers and families of students who have been victims of the mysterious chemical attacks on schools.