8th February 2025
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VP Abdelbagi urges compliance with nationwide teachers screening test

Author: Sebit Patrick | Published: February 5, 2025

The Vice President for Service Cluster, Hussein Abdelbagi Akol. [Photo: Courtesy]

Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi calls on state and local governments to cooperate with the education ministry’s reform policy including teachers assessment exams to improve education in line with 2018 accord, as some teachers reject the test over unpaid salaries.

Abdelbagi said the Ministry of General Education and Instruction has kicked-off the reform policy by implementing teachers screening and training to determine their competence.

He said the exercise will take place in all parts of South Sudan, adding thousands of teachers have been screened so far – with some retained for further training and the rest confirmed.

Public primary school teachers in Gogrial West County boycotted screening test on February 3 in protest of their unpaid 14-month salary arrears. Some told Eye Radio they would only take the exams when they are paid and urged the government to be responsive to their welfare.

However, VP Abdelbagi said the salary crisis should not be muddled with the educational reform agenda, adding that the government is working to address the payment of teachers.

He appealed to the state and local governments to support and cooperate with the designated institutions for the success of the exercise.

“I would like to appeal to the governors, chief administrators, state assemblies, ministers of education, commissioners, and the teachers to support the process and cooperate with the National Ministry of General Education and Instruction to achieve this mandate,” he said.

The vice president disclosed that Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Lake and Warrap states have commenced the screening exercise to determine whether they will be confirmed to teach or retained for further capacity buidling.

“In compliance with the R-ARCISS reform agenda and the government reforms policy, the service delivery cluster has directed the MoGE&I to carry out necessary reform to improve and strengthen quality education in the country.”

“Part of these reform policies is teachers’ screening and training. The Ministry of General Education has successfully conducted teachers’ screening in northern Bahr el Gazal, Lake, and it is now in Warrap States.”

Government employees including the armed forces have not been paid for more than one year – in an economic crisis that left the national government struggling to meet its expenditures.

This comes after multiple crises including the Sudan war and the departure of Malaysian oil subsidiary Petronas – severely disrupted oil exports and deprived the country’s coffers of oil income – which is the main source of revenue.

Public expenditure on education in South Sudan is also said to be one of the lowest in the world. The sector is also suffering from low investment and low capacity, with its administration and management weakened by conflicts.

The national constitution states that basic education must be free and compulsory to all children in the country – a provision recently invoked by President Kiir to encourage literacy in the country

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

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

In July 2024, President Kiir promised to support the country’s education sector by ensuring proper remuneration of teachers to address insufficient and often delayed salaries.

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