Students at Aweil Secondary School in South Sudan’s Aweil State have decried the lack of teachers after many abandoned the profession.
Aweil Secondary School is a government school.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Tuesday last week, several students at the public school said many teachers quit the profession due to low and delayed salaries.
Mary Aker, a female student of Form Four, called upon the governors of Aweil, Lol and Aweil East States to join hands and protect the school.
“I feel bad that teachers are leaving for NGOs because it is affecting us. Sometimes, we go home without receiving lessons,” Aker said.
She added, “These teachers are supposed to help us because we are the future generation. They are the ones to guide us towards the right direction.”
Angelo Guot, another student of Form Four, said many of the subjects are not being taught. “Teachers like that for commerce and mathematics are not coming to us. It will definitely affect us because we are to sit national exams,” he said.
The complaining students urged President Salva Kiir to intervene by checking on the status of government-owned schools across the country.
Akol Yel Akol, the school’s deputy head teacher acknowledged challenges they face.
“Lack of teachers is the major challenge facing the school. We have some volunteers who come, but the number is not enough,” he said.
Akol, however, said the state coordinating office for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) assigned two experienced Ghanaian peacekeepers to fill a gap left by teachers.
“One peacekeeper is teaching English and another one is teaching Christian Religious Education,” he said.
The deputy head teacher, however, urged UNMISS to increase the numbers of peacekeepers to enable the school meet its needs.