Lakes State teachers take screening test. | Photo: Courtesy

Only around 1,000 out of the 3,000 Lakes State primary and secondary school teachers passed last month’s screening exams, the state education ministry has announced.

Lakes State government, on June 11, administered a screening test to nearly 5,000 primary and secondary school teachers in the capital Rumbek to improve education and wipe out ghost names.

The public schools’ teachers were grilled two months after the Vice President for Service Cluster announced plans to have them screened in a bid to lay off unqualified teachers and absorb qualified volunteers on the payroll.

The screening exams are also meant to wipe out ghost names – a corruption scheme where non-existent teachers are listed in the government payroll.

Announcing the screening result on state television SSBC on Wednesday, Education Minister Nelson Makoi, said the test was not intended to target any teaching staff but only to test their qualification.

“Out of the 3,000 who sat for screening examination in June. We managed to secure 33% which is 1143 passed the exams which is a low number which affects the teaching profession,” Makoi said.

“We are not targeting anybody this test is a kind of evaluation and capacity building and it helps us to make better discussions on how we can develop the education system in the state.”

For his part, the state governor Rin Tueny Mabor said the result of the test reflects the level of education, which forced the student’s reluctance to go to school.

“Teaching our children is a big task. We can’t cheat our children that’s why we need to have qualified teachers in the state.”

“The record is very discouraging, and this approves the minimum number of children in the schools and most of them are out of Schools. As a government, this is a big challenge that is why we must impose education all over the state.”

According to the Institute of Development Studies, teachers in South Sudan remain poorly and irregularly paid – leading to qualified teachers deserting for better-paying jobs.

This has reportedly resulted in schools hiring primary and secondary school leavers with limited proficiency in English – the language of instruction.

Teachers have also been complaining about low pay and poor working conditions.