The Ministry of General Education last Friday commenced the disbursement of a one-month salary for October 2023 for teachers and education staff in Unity State after several months.
State Ministry of Education and Instruction Director General Michael Majang confirmed to Radio Tamazuj the one-month salary’s rollout.
Majang said his office had received a directive from the Minister for Education and Instruction Stephen Tot Chieng to advise the seven country education directors from Mayom, Rubkona, Guit, Koch, Panyijiar, Leer and Mayendit, to collect their staff’s pay and to ensure transparency and accountability in the payments.
“As I am speaking to you, we have called the various county education directors in Unity State to take the salaries to the beneficiaries,” he said.
The State Education Minister directed that only the teachers who had been working at their duty posts be paid. He said the leadership dispute in Panyijiar had been resolved and that a county director would take the money to the teachers there this week.
The head of the salaries payment committee, Elizabeth Amau Paul, said they had come from Juba to Bentiu to monitor the exercise.
“We are coming to witness the beneficiaries at the State Ministry of General Education and Instructions. We will go back after we pay all the beneficiaries,” she said.
A teacher from Bentiu Girls Primary School, Simon Puok, confirmed receiving a one-month salary after 10 months’ wait. He said he would use the money to clear his debts, lamenting the inadequacy of the cash to cater for his needs.
Another teacher, Yoanish Riek, also confirmed receiving his one-month salary. He noted that the salary delay had led many teachers to exit the profession, further compromising the standards of education in South Sudan.
Last month, National Minister for Education and Instruction Minister Awut Deng Achuil warned of the closure of schools countrywide due to accumulated salary arrears.
She raised the concerns at the Council of Ministers meeting, warning that public schools across the country may shut down if salary arrears are not settled.
South Sudan’s economy has been under pressure in recent years, with crude oil export revenue having dwindled since a 2013-2018 conflict and, more recently, export disruptions due to war in neighbouring Sudan.
Civil servants and soldiers have gone unpaid salaries for several months. Professionals with monthly salaries ranging from $10 to $50, such as teachers and doctors, have also experienced protracted payment delays.