Hentet fra Eye Radio | Av Chany Ninrew
Four primary schools have indefinitely suspended learning in Juba – sending thousands of pupils home after fed-up teachers failed to show up at schools over months of unpaid salaries.
During an assessment by Eye Radio, four government primary schools in Juba were found to have their classes closed due to the absence of teachers because of unpaid salaries.
Juba One for Boys and Girls, Buluk, and Gudele East Two are some of the primary schools where teachers have not been reporting to work due to the issue.
This has led to the suspension of classes, and pupils are forced to stay at home.
Philip John Kenyi, the Headmaster of Juba One Primary School, told Eye Radio that since Monday, teachers have not been able to come to school because they are fed up with the situation.
He said the government’s failure to pay teachers’ salaries for the past nine months has forced educators to stay away from schools.
“Now, we are going 10 months without salary, and our job as teachers is not easy. Some of the teachers who live in Jebel Yesua face a great distance to come here without transportation,” Kenyi said.
“How will they be able to travel from Jebel Yesua? Some of them live in Kubori Haboba—how will they be able to come from there, daily without any transportation?”
“This is why they are fed up after all these 10 months without salary. This is what I want to tell the public: the reason teachers are not able to come to work now is the lack of salary.”
Kenyi also mentioned that the situation has forced teachers to depend on their spouses during this period without salary.
“Let me tell the truth, with the situation we are seeing in our country, today in Juba, most the families, the women are now struggling to support especially the mothers.”
“For example, my madam is doing a small business selling tea, and juice around our home, this sometimes sustains us, to push us, because I don’t have any other means like a business.”
“As an administrator, you will be here until all the people are gone in school, our wives are the ones supporting us.”
Meanwhile, some pupils of Gudele East Two Primary School, who spoke to Eye Radio, appealed to the government to clear the teachers’ salaries so they can continue their education.
Victoria Hana said she is excited to learn and used to wake up every morning to go school. She now spends her days helping her mother at home without learning.
“Since yesterday, I am not happy because we were sent home from school because our teachers were not paid for the last nine months,” she said.
“I want you to look into the issue of our teachers so that they get paid and we can go back to school. I am now in P8, and we were supposed to take our mock exams in September and our final exams in October.”
“I am not happy at the moment. Please look into the issue of the teachers’ salaries so we can go back to school.”
Another pupil, Freelander Lino said they were told by the school administration to stay home for two months.
“I don’t know why, but I heard it is because of the issue of payment for teachers over the last eight months,” she said. “We don’t know when we are going to resume our classes.”
Lilian Elia, a mother of 11 children, said in an interview with Eye Radio that her children were sent back home, and appeals to the government to pay the teachers’ salaries.
“The education this year is an issue. Yesterday, my child went to school and was sent back because the teachers were not paid their salaries.”
“As a mother who’s working hard to earn money in South Sudan this issue is paining me, you see the women are the ones suffering too much. So, this issue is hurting me as a mother.”
“To the government, if you are listening, please pay the teachers’ salaries and let the teachers administer the exams for the primary 8 children, who are the children of South Sudan.”
On July 12, the National Minister of General Education and Instruction Awut Deng, raised concerns about the delayed marking of Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE) examination papers and the hardship faced by public school teachers due to delayed salaries.
According to the deputy information minister, Jacob Maiju Korok, public primary and secondary schools were on the verge of shutting down due to the months of non-payment for teachers.
Public expenditure on education in South Sudan is also said to be one of the lowest in the world.
The sector is also suffering from low investment and low capacity, with its administration and management weakened by conflicts.
On July 5, President Kiir promised to support the country’s education sector by ensuring proper remuneration of teachers to address poor and delayed salary payments amid a severe economic crisis.
Kiir spoke in a meeting with State Governors, Chief Administrators and Education Ministers in Juba, according to a statement from the Office of the President.
Further, the Institute of Development Studies has found that teachers in South Sudan remain poorly and irregularly paid – leading to qualified teachers deserting for better-paying jobs.
This has resulted in schools hiring primary and secondary school leavers with limited proficiency in English – the language of instruction.
https://www.eyeradio.org/thousands-of-pupils-sent-home-in-juba-as-schools-shut-over-salary-arrears/