All government schools in Aweil East County are closed because teachers have not been paid for several months. Many have moved from their villages to the county headquarters waiting for the national committee to come pay their salaries.

Deputy Education Director Lual Dut Kur says the education office has no power to tell teachers to go back and continue teaching. He also says he has no information about when the committee will come to pay salaries.

Aweil East County Commissioner Awet Kiir Awet says that the issue will affect the pupils chances for the examinations. He says only two months remain before the first term exams, according to the South Sudanese academic calendar.

Owing to the salaries delay, many teachers are leaving the profession to join the army, NGOs and other institutions. They say it is the result of underpayment.

Garang Mathiang Dut, one of teachers who left the profession, says he joined the state police because of low payment and lack of promotions. He now receives twice the salary.

“When I left teaching in schools it was not because I have a problem with students or anything – I left education because of low payment and lack of promotions,” he said, adding that he now earns 640 SSP per month whereas before his earnings were lower.

State Minister for Education Kon Deng Chan has asked teachers to be patient. He urgedthem to educate their children as an act of patriotism.

“Teachers who says that teachers’ salaries are very low and they should have to joined army or NGOs, I want to tell them that first education in the key for everything. If you are soldier or anything because even the army needs educate persons, although you receive good money there please educate your brother and sister of this nation, because with education we can do and know more,” he commented.

Northern Bahr el Ghazal state teachers have not received three months of salaries – since before December last year. Some teachers including those from Aweil East County were not paid November salaries either.

Reporting by Nhomlau FM