Tereza Minairo, headmistress of Ngbarago Nursery School in Yambio teaches a science lesson. 29th September 2023. Photo: Charles Wote/Eye Radio.

The National Teachers Union is appealing to the government to prioritize teachers’ welfare through timely payment of their salaries, as South Sudan marks the International Day of Teachers.

Teachers, like other civil servants in the country, have gone for at least one year without receiving their salaries amid the dire economic crisis that has hit the country since January 2024.

The union chairperson, Garang Deng Kuol said teachers in the country continue to remain faithful and committed amid unfavorable working condition and salary delays.

Mr. Deng called on the government to take the teachers day as an opportunity to reconsider their welfare and improve the education sector in the country.

“It is clear for all of us that government employees, country-wide, face the same challenge, but the situation of teacher’s job environment is not conducive compared to other public sectors,” he said in an interview with Eye Radio.

“Currently, the teacher’s payment is not favoring the daily life conditions while also delaying for 10 months, which causes teacher’s dropout from schools looking for other jobs outside.”

He also encourages the Ministry of General Education to involve teachers in decision making process to enhance better policy shaping.

“Teachers are the central element in the implementation of policies in the country, and because of that, it is necessary for them to be involved in any decision-making process for education.”

“At this celebration of teachers day in October 2024, teachers in the South Sudan are calling on all governments in the country to put their special consideration on education and mostly the teacher’s welfare to be prioritized.”

He said the 2024 commemoration of Teachers Day in South Sudan under the theme “Teachers are the heartbeat of public education” has been scheduled for 07^th October because the event falls on a weekend.

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

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

An Eye Radio assessment in July found that some government schools in Juba indefinitely suspended learning – sending thousands of pupils’ home after teachers failed to show up due to months of unpaid salaries.

During that month, President Kiir promised to support the country’s education sector by ensuring proper remuneration of teachers to address poor and delayed salary payments amid a severe economic crisis.