A bill was approved by parliament (Majlis) in the previous calendar year (ended March 20) on teachers’ evaluation, and accordingly, one million teachers have been assessed based on specific criteria, including their qualifications, says director general of administrative affairs at the ministry of education Seyyed Hasan Hoseini.
The ratings are categorized on: basic, senior, expert and superlative, assigned according to each teacher’s versatility, qualification, work experience, and research contribution, he added. Teachers’ salary would commensurate with their ratings.
In case of any objection to the evaluation, teachers can lodge written complaints to the education department in their respective cities, Iran Newspaper quoted him as saying.
Regarding teachers who spend most of their time in the school office instead of classrooms, he said they were rated as “inefficient.” They attained the lowest level (basic) of evaluation and comprised most of the complainants of the assessment system.
According to a government directive approved in 2007 with the aim of creating an efficient administrative system, the salary of government employees should be based on each employee’s efficiency, experience and qualification, rather than job classification, he noted.
Previously, all individuals classified under the same job title, got equal pay regardless of differences in qualifications. But the directive sought to differentiate high and low skilled employees in terms of salary payment.
Wages
Teachers’ salary was expected to increase between 1.6 milion, to 6 million rials ($50-$180) based on their level of versatility but as the matter received little attention under the previous government, the directive was not implemented. “Now it will be put into action via the assessment system to encourage teachers to promote their capabilities,” he said.
Pointing to the assessment system, also included in the educational reform plan outlined by the government, he said: “Education, participation in school activities, number of scientific and research articles, and work experience in deprived areas, are among the main criteria in the evaluation process, which would also be considered in hiking teachers’ salary, and thus their social status.”
Although all teachers would initially be considered on par (basic), their promotion is subject to acquiring qualifications set at higher standards. The evaluation would not only improve teachers’ welfare, but also the quality of education, he added.
