Primary and secondary school teachers in Northern Bahr el Ghazal’s Aweil North and West Counties have announced the suspension of work following the arrest of 15 education directors, the teachers’ representatives said.
Chaos erupted after the state government formed a screening committee to review all teaching staff in the two counties under the former Lol State-a move the teachers condemned. Instead, they called for the same exercise to be implemented in the other counties of the defunct Aweil and Aweil East states for uniformity.
The teachers in both counties declared their decision to cease working earlier this week after the government detained about 15 county education directors in the now-defunct Lol State.
“The state government formed a committee against Aweil West and Aweil North to review the salary of teachers that is why they were complaining about the committee because this committee is not for the whole Northern Bahr el Ghazal State. It is for only Aweil West and Aweil North, this is why the teachers were surprised about the committee,’’ James Ruon Rach, Aweil North County teachers representative said. “They want to pay the money physically, they need teachers to come and receive, and then we told them that teachers were for a public holiday. That is why the teachers quarreled with the committee. All the education directors for the defunct counties, both in Aweil West and North were detained by the national security,” Ruan said.
He said that some of the education directors were released but are still undergoing investigations at security organs’ premises.
In Aweil West County, the teachers have also downed their tools, protesting the arrest of their colleagues.
“The teachers have a problem with the case where we were taken to Aweil. We were the ones who went to Aweil and discussed the matter and we were released last night. I came here and we heard that schools were closed over our detention,’’ Leek Mabuoch, a teacher in Aweil West County revealed.
According to Leek, they were detained for six days.
Aweil North County authorities denied that education directors were arrested, saying that what happened are normal administrative procedures.
“I think what had happened were just normal procedures, the teachers had been called to Aweil headquarters of Northern Bahr el Ghazal just to screen their files, to cross-check their pay sheet, otherwise they were told to go back. I don’t think, that is a lie and I didn’t know who gave you that information. The teachers have now gone back, especially the place where I am,’’ William Deng Mou, the Executive Director in Aweil North County said.
Deng said it is the mandate of the government to review and cross-check files of teachers because some teachers obtained diplomas, new assignments, and promotions during the coronavirus lockdown.
But the Aweil West County authorities admitted that there is a dispute between the state government and the counties’ education workers.
“The teachers were having some problems with the state government, but no teacher came and informed us about their issues and even the state government didn’t inform us about the problem. Of course, we in the county have authority but something that has gone to higher authorities, we don’t have a right to talk about it,’’ said John Garang Aguot, the Executive Director of Aweil West County.
Northern Bahr el Ghazal State’s ministry of education and instruction said teachers across the state are suffering due to the lack of salaries for many months.
When asked to comment on differences between the state government and teachers in Aweil North and West Counties, the director-general in the Northern Baher-el-Ghazal State’s ministry of education, Caesar Atem Biajo, said the ministry has no clear picture of the ongoing disputes.
“We have small challenges. Candidates resumed school and the teaching is not going well in Aweil West and Aweil North. If politics enters into administration, it complicates everything. There are people spreading rumors saying your things are taken and canceled and so on, but there was no official letter which came to us about the cancellation of promotions of teachers in Aweil West and North Counties,’’ Atem said.