At least twelve primary schools remain closed due to shortages of teachers at Lopit-West County in Imatong State.
Lopit West County is among the newly proposed counties in the proposed Imatong state which came into existence after President Salva Kiir in October 2015 issued a controversial presidential establishment order to expand the number of the administrative units to 28 states from 10 states.
The immediate cause behind closure of the schools remains unclear. Many attribute it to lack of motivation of the teachers, including irregular payment, lack of promotion and lack of allowance. Other reasons are associated with the insecurity as armed groups in the area have recently increased their activities, forcing parents to relocate from their villages in search of safety.
The closure has now put at stake the future of the school going age children who have been asked to stay home by the parents. Fearing that their children would lose precious year of education, the parents who are able to effort primary education have started efforts to get their children admitted in private schools, either within the same village or in other distance locations, including taking them to Torit town, the administrative headquarters of the new state.
Lopit-West Commissioner Saferino Lofun confirmed to Radio Tamazuj on Monday that twelve primary schools remain closed since the beginning of this year due to shortages of teachers. The Official said that most of Teachers who were teaching in these schools left due to insecurity and lack of basic services like Food as the result of lack of Rainfall last year which disturbed farming in the area.
Lopit-West County has 16 primary Schools under which four Schools were reported by the official to be working until now with few teachers. The Commissioner said he will work hard to make sure they closed Schools reopen next years. He also revealed lacks of Medicines and there are more cases of malaria in the area especially with children.
Lofun further added that the last consignment of medicines which was delivered to the area was on June but until now no medicines delivered.