Sudan teachers’ committee links Gezira school delay to unpaid wages, threatens escalation
May 30, Khartoum — The Sudanese Teachers Committee said on Saturday that the postponement of the compensatory school year in Gezira state reflects a deeper crisis in Sudan’s education sector, directly linking the decision to growing teacher unrest over accumulated salary arrears and deteriorating living conditions.
Gezira’s Ministry of Education had announced the postponement of the compensatory academic year to 14 June 2026, citing organisational and administrative reasons. The Teachers Committee rejected that framing, saying the decision in fact reflects the widening scope of teacher protests driven by months of delayed pay.
The committee said teachers in Gezira are facing severe economic hardship, with salary arrears exceeding 14 months, delayed allowances and bonuses dating back to the outbreak of the war, and wages that are insufficient to cover basic needs. It accused the Gezira state government of failing to meet its financial obligations, including the delayed payment of May salaries and Eid al-Adha bonuses, worsening the situation for thousands of teachers and their families.
“Postponing classes or adjusting the academic calendar will not end the movement,” the committee said, adding that the stability of the educational process depends on resolving teachers’ grievances and improving their professional and living conditions.
The committee said it fully supports the Gezira teachers’ movement and pledged to stand behind them through all legitimate means until their demands are met. It outlined an escalation roadmap beginning with the submission of a formal demands memorandum to the relevant authorities, followed by a defined response period, and progressing to gradual escalation — up to and including work stoppages — if there is no adequate response.
The committee noted that what is happening in Gezira is an extension of similar movements in Kassala, Northern State, White Nile, and other states, amid worsening economic conditions and a growing wage gap. It renewed its calls for timely salary payments, settlement of all arrears, wage improvements in line with current economic conditions, and the opening of serious dialogue with teacher representatives on professional and rights-related issues.