Jordanian PM Abdullah Ensour (C)

Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Monday met with the president and members of the Teachers Association Council in the presence of Education Minister Mohammad Thneibat, State Minister for Prime Ministry Affairs Ahmad Ziyadat and State Minister for Media Affairs Mohammad Momani.
President of the Teachers Association Hussam Al Masheh said the association is keen on developing a relationship with the Education Ministry that is participatory in order to improve the level of education in the Kingdom.
"The association is also keen to continue consultations with the Ministry notwithstanding the differences in points of view," he added, noting that the Association does not interfere in the Education Ministry's mandate.
Al Masheh also spoke about the association's demands , including the deduction of JD1 from the salaries of public sector teachers and making this applicable to the private sector teachers, and exempting teachers fully from having to pay at the universities' hospitals .
The prime minister said that developing the education sector was on top of the government's priority since it invested in its people and provided them with education, noting that the government is committed to preserving accomplishments made in the education sector.
Ensour voiced his rejection of the strikes as these are illegal and violate the rules of the Education Ministry, the Teachers Association and the Civil Service Bureau, noting that the government will take all necessary measures against those who go on strikes or call for such strikes.
In this context, he said the government did not interfere to end the previous strike by the Teachers Association, adding that it was the pressure from the society and the families of the students at large that ended the strike since they felt the extent of its impact on the students.