By Yang Ater Yang
Eight (8) primary school teachers have been arrested for boycotting a screening exercise in Yirol West County, Lakes State.
The screening test organized by the state Ministry of General Education and Instructions took place on June 10, 2023, but some of the teachers boycotted the exercise, prompting their arrest.
Last month, the State Education Ministry ordered over 4,000 teachers to sit for screening examinations to assess qualification to fit government payroll.
However, some teachers, including administrators and head teachers, declined, saying the assessment should only be applied to volunteer teachers who do not have teaching skills and experience.
As a result, few volunteer teachers managed to sit for the screening test.
James Makur, from Yirol West County, said that teachers on government payroll system are not going to sit for an interview, with the exception of volunteer teachers.
“Some of the teachers have been in service for more than 15 years before and after the independence of South Sudan. Others have a provisional appointment from the Ministry of General Education,” he argued.
He added other teachers already have permanent appointment.
Mr. Makur reiterated that they (teachers) won’t fall for the Ministry of Education’s threat of termination their services should they fail to sit for the exams.
“Yes, we accepted that if we go out of our job, then the government will give us our pension,” he said.
For his part, a volunteer teacher in Yirol West County, Moses Maciek, said the exams went well, even if they were hard.
“We have tried our level best to do our screening exercise,” he said.
Maciek, however, said those teachers who refused to sit for screening exams might have a right.
“Already they have been appointed by the same government in Lakes State as civil servants,” he said.
Rumbek University of Science and Technology (RUST) examination supervisor in Yirol West County, Mabor Malou, said the exams were set based on the capacity of primary teachers.
“I wanted to say congratulations to teachers who made it to various schools, those who made it to come for these examinations, and teachers who will pass these examinations,” he mocked.
Director General, Lakes State Ministry of General Education, James Marer Aluel, told this outlet that it is a mandate of the education ministry to screen all the teachers by sitting for examinations.
He said the screening examination exercise, which began on Saturday, June 10th, 2023, lasted for two days.
The University of Rumbek, which administered the exams, is compiling a report of the total number of teachers and volunteers that sat for the screening exercise exams across Lakes State.
“We do not have accurate data on those who are sitting for examinations now; the University of Rumbek, tasked with supervising the screening exercise, is still compiling a report,” Marer said.
The state education director added that they will let the public know about the screening exams once they are given the report.
“Volunteer teachers are the ones sitting for screening examinations but those who have been serving for 40 years are considered veterans, and they are not allowed to sit for the screening test,” Marer clarified.
He said the volunteers who failed the examinations will have to go for other jobs, but those teachers who will fail are going to be given some models in the development institute for their studies.
According to Mr. Marer, the marking of the assessment test will take about 2 weeks to complete, adding that there has been no malpractice during the test.
Marer, however, acknowledged the arrest of the eight (8) teachers allegedly remanded in Yirol West and Yirol East counties, respectively.
Simon Makur Abraham, another teacher who escaped to Bor from Yirol, said that he boycotted the examinations and fled to Bor due to fear of arrest by the state education authority.
“The minister plans to screen teachers opposing his idea, including those who have been teaching and are on the government payroll for more than 15–20 years,” he said.
“I am an old teacher, and I have been serving for nearly 15 years in the education sector,” Abraham added.