The laboratory teachers are given Grade 2 salary while the educational statutes say that any qualified teacher is entitled to be Grade 3.

“They have submitted a fresh application to the Ministry of Civil Service through the Ministry of Education pointing out the relevant statutes of education that support their demand,” Abdullah ibn Al-Harir, spokesman for an advocacy group for laboratory teachers, told Arab News recently.

“The laboratory teachers deserve to be upgraded from their current Grade 2 to Grade 3, in line with Clause 2 of the Education Statutes that stipulates any holder of a diploma specializing in the field of education over a period of not less than two years after the general or vocational secondary school degree should be appointed at the Grade 3 teacher’s level.  The laboratory teachers fulfill all these conditions,” the spokesman said.

The teachers in their new application have also cited a document issued by the Education Ministry many years ago specifying that the laboratory teachers deserved Grade 3 like other schoolteachers.

“The teachers were making this demand over the past several years.

In spite of their holding the required qualification they were denied their rightful claims,” Al-Harir said.

He added that in the past the efforts of the teachers did not succeed in getting their rights established because they made only individual efforts but now they are making a joint move.

The Civil Service Council rejected their demand in the past on the wrong excuse that their qualification was not in the field of education.

He added that after he made discussion with the secretary of the Civil Service Council on the issue the teachers submitted their new application.