About 25 teachers at Hope Primary school have quit the field of teaching because of lack of pay, leaving a school of over 6000 pupils short-staffed.
Simon Kai Yak, the head teacher of the school, says only 72 teaching staffs manage the school, which he says has 6578 students.
“We have 6578 pupils the teachers are 72 of them but now most of those teachers have left for better jobs,” said Simon.
He says NGOs that support education only pay each teacher 900 SSP which is about 12 United States dollars per month. He added that with the economic crisis teachers who have better educational background look for NGOs who pay them better to support their family
“Because the work they do everyday does not benefit them, they have families and children when they come to school and get paid 900 SSP at the end of the month what will that money do.”
Civil servants’ salaries generally do not reach people inside the UN protection sites in South Sudan. Simon also blamed humanitarian organizations supporting education saying they are excluding the protection camp in Juba from their support. Simon claimed this was part of a plan to keep this generation illiterate.
“The NGOs also do not support secondary education in the protection camp in Juba,” he said.
However, Yak appreciated partners for their support to education especially on provision of exercise books,chalk and other materials. Hope Primary School has been supported by Norwegian Refugee Council and UNICEF.
File photo: A child at a school in a protection camp in Juba (UN)