Abyei administrator calls for replacement of war mentalities with education
By Ngor Arol Garang
June 30, 2010 (ALEK) — Deng Arop Kuol, Chief Administrator of the oil contested border town of Abyei, on Wednesday called for replacement of war mentalities with education, saying educated folks discover a lot to exercise patience and peaceful coexistence with neighbors.
“We went to war to fight for change which does not come by itself. Change is never automatic. It is through sensitization and that is education itself,” said Arop, urging for replacement of war mentalities with education.
“Education is the basis of any national prosperity and whoever neglects learning in their youth loses the past, and is dead for the future,” he said.
In May, 2010, public service officer charged with screening staff in Abyei, Albino Mirior Aguer told Sudan Tribune that they have screened over a hundred teachers found to have possessed no relevant academic papers for procedural grading in line with public service rules and regulations.
The move, however, saw discontented reactions from the teaching cells, prompting administrative calls to suspend the screening despite his earlier position directing public service to conduct thorough screening for quality services delivery.
The official is further reported to have call on parents to encourage girl child education and support professional training for women in the region. “I can see your committee has no woman though I understand that it is not your making but they must be encouraged,” he said.
It is the duty of the local leaders together with teachers as champions to encourage participation of all women in any in activity. “Therefore, I would like to equally take this opportunity to encourage professional women across the region to take up this challenge to mentor girls so that they can reach higher levels in the society,” he said.
Chol Magueny, who spoke to Sudan Tribune as teacher union representative from Abyei, said they had nice and productive meeting with the chief administrator. “We had nice and productive meeting with the chief administrator during which we expressed some of the challenges facing us as teachers,” he said.
(ST)
MJriaksdca
Abyei administrator calls for replacement of war mentalities with education
The chief administrator hit the nail on the head. The major problem now is that education is being neglected. Throughout the southern Sudan regions school infrastructures are not yet in place. Lack of properly trained teachers, books, school feeding, and teachers’ payments are yet the most haunting problems being faced in education sectors. Money is in the hands of presidents, governors, commissioners, and other high ranking politicians who use war mentalities to control and subbordinate those with proper degrees to teach, govern, and lead most major sectors of public ministries. This is a major
problem. It is meaningless for a commission to be paid even regularly yet a master or phD holder who want to sacrifies to teach in universities are being discouragingly paid less. This is a complete neglect which symbolizes an absolute corruption by the warlords who are now the rulers in S. Sudan.