(Teachers’ Strike and Sit-in)
Date: 18/09/2019
Between September 14th and 16th, the World of Opinions Center for Polls conducted a survey on the teachers’ strike and the crisis between their union and the Jordanian government. The aim was to explore the extent of public engagement with the crisis and its developments, the different attitudes towards it, and the proposed solutions to resolve it.
This survey is part of the self-funded projects executed by the World of Opinions Center for Polls, which aims to serve the community and measure Jordanian public opinion on various issues. The survey relied on two simultaneous and parallel questionnaires: the first was a phone survey with a representative sample of 480 Jordanians, selected from a list of phone respondents using a systematic random method based on a previous nationwide field survey of Jordanian households. The second was an open electronic survey accessible to the public via a link shared on social media, where 5,639 people participated as of September 17, 2019.
The focus will be on presenting the results of the phone survey sample, as it is more based on a disciplined sample and is more representative of various segments of the society at the national level. Meanwhile, the electronic sample responses are characterized by a greater margin of freedom due to the nature and diversity of the responses, allowing space to express opinions that may not be published in traditional media due to certain sensitivities or restrictions.
Key Findings of Jordanians’ Opinions on the Crisis Between the Government and Teachers (Representative Phone Sample and Electronic Sample)
- A) Three-quarters of Jordanians are following the crisis
The percentage of people following the crisis reached 75.7% (very closely 68.4%, somewhat closely 7.3%), reflecting the Jordanian society’s interest in the crisis and its anticipation of a resolution. However, this percentage is lower than that in the electronic sample, which reached 99.1% (very closely 85.8%, somewhat closely 13.3%).
- B) Two-thirds of Jordanians oppose the government’s actions in dispersing the teachers’ sit-in
The opposition to the government’s actions in dealing with the teachers’ sit-in at the Fourth Circle reached two-thirds, at 66.2% (opposed 18.4%, strongly opposed 47.8%), a significant percentage, though lower than that in the electronic sample, which reached 94.2% (opposed 6.1%, strongly opposed 88.1%).
- C) Jordanians largely blame government parties for the crisis
Among four options offered in the survey about whom respondents see as more to blame for the crisis, 63.0% blamed government parties (Interior Ministry 34.3%, Ministry of Education 28.7%). This percentage rose to 94.5% in the electronic sample.
- D) The representative sample is more inclined to reject the strike than the electronic sample
The results show a greater inclination among the Jordanian public to oppose the teachers’ decision to strike after dispersing the sit-in to demand financial bonuses, with support at 40.8% (support 11.9%, strongly support 28.9%), while support in the electronic sample rose to 93.1% (support 9.9%, strongly support 83.2%).
- E) Two-thirds of the representative phone sample oppose the continuation of the teachers’ strike if the government does not meet their demands, contrary to the opinion of the electronic sample.
One-third of respondents, 35.1%, expressed support for the continuation of the teachers’ strike until the government meets their demands, while this percentage skyrocketed in the electronic sample to 90.9%.
- F) More than half of the Jordanian public supports a consensual or temporary solution to the crisis
The survey presented respondents with five options to determine the best solution to the crisis from their perspective, with the option of free responses. The result was that 61.0% support a consensual or temporary solution to the crisis (39.0% preferred to divide the bonus into installments not exceeding two financial years, and 22.0% favored granting part of the bonus in exchange for involving the union in educational and pedagogical decision-making). Conversely, 79.6% of the electronic sample supported a solution based on granting the bonus (continuation of the strike 56.1%, division of the bonus into installments not exceeding two financial years). Despite the clear contrast between the two lines, there remains a common space between them.
To download the PDF summary, click the link below:
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/BZEQg1ElDMsZAX5HLIcHjqPbmnPpO6efdXTLneLu0ai
