The education director in Jonglei state’s Nyirol County has been fired over alleged incompetence after the county registered only nine pupils for the 2022 Certificate of Primary Education (PLE) examinations next week.
Ruot Yoal Nyuon, the state education ministry director-general, told Radio Tamazuj Thursday that Monday’s firing of the County Education Director (CED), Ter Muon, was an expression of the ministry’s frustration.
“If there are factors like insecurity and floods which might have led to low registration of candidates, then Nyirol is not different from Ayod and Fangak which are also faced with the same problems but registered a higher number,” Nyuon said.
“Even Nyirol last year, registered over 100 pupils. So, we exhausted all options and the only decision we had to take was to fire the county education director,” he added.
According to him, last month the school had about 78 pupils in class 8.
“We have the statistics. At the beginning of the year, there were 78 pupils in class 8. What happened that they are not registered? So, I think it is a failure of the county education director,” he said.
For his part, Ter Mun said his sacking had nothing to do with the low enrollment of students sitting for this year’s exams.
“I was appointed as the CED on 25 January when pupils were for their third term examinations. Of course, there are nine pupils registered and it is not good,” Muon said.
In his defense, Muon said, “In the education system, there are no shortcuts. I can not just go to the market to mobilize pupils for Primary 8 exams. So, I think the director-general has some interests. When appointed, the report I got and immediately reported to Bor was that of 9 pupils. It is not my fault but that of those who were before me.”
Biel Jiek Lual, the county information director, said the county was aware of CED sacking and his replacement and that it was not their prerogative.