Pupils in one of the biggest government schools in Yei River County are asking the government to pay teachers salaries on time and improve their pay to improve the quality of education in the country.
According to Jigomoni pupils, paying the teachers’ salaries adequately and timely will boost teachers’ teaching moral hence increasing the level of learners’ performance.
“Let the Government increase the teachers’ salaries and pay them. Nowadays many people are running away from teaching because of low and delayed pay,” said Victoria, a student at the school.
The ambitious girl said that she has picked an interest to learn more and become a nurse to help address the issue of limited nurses affecting care for pregnant mothers.
Victoria also appealed for supply of more scholastic materials such as books, pens, black boards and other materials to attract more children to join school.
Another student, Philip, says education can help children to become future leaders.
“I joined school to be a leader but what I have found so challenging is thhat most of the teachers in the school are demoralised due to low pay. I really called on the government to urgently meet the teacher’s needs so that our future is not affected,” he said.
Another pupil, Esther, expressed hopes of becoming an education minister to help fight illiteracy in the country. “Am seeing that many people are suffering because of low level of education, so a lot is needed to be done to more especially on teachers motivation to break the cycle of poverty in the future,” she added.
School headmaster Boni Julius Milla said the school is faced with a shortage of teachers to run the crowded school of more than one 1130 pupils. He said the school has a huge number of learners but is being managed by only twelve teachers.
Boni called on the Government to improve the conditions of both the teachers and the pupils.
“For the pupils to get quality knowledge there is need for the teachers to be highly motivated. Most of the teachers are paralysed and others are planning to quit the profession. If there is nothing done, for sure am seeing a danger in terms of poor performance at the end of the year.”