Jonglei education minister up for challenges

By Thon Philip Aleu

June 17, 2009 (BOR Town) – John Matien Kuol, Jonglei State minister for Education has pledged Tuesday to handle academic and administrative hardships ahead of him in the new position.

John Matien took over from John Antipas Ayiei in the recent reshuffling where the latter was reappointed as Governor’s Advisor on health and environmental affairs.

In an interview with the Sudan Tribune, former education minister John Antipas says working under deficit is ministry’s biggest challenge. But reacting to the immense problem of finances, Mr. Kuol said that proposals requesting more funds will be written to the State Governor and the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS).

Due to budget insufficiencies, teachers for Alternative Education System were not paid for months in 2008 costing the position of former minister John Ayiei. Mr. Ayiei maintained that AES is directly funded by GoSS and though excluded expected funds in 2009 State Education Ministry budget. The State Assembly unanimously passed it, he said. A question mark is what the State Assembly will do should AES teachers fail to get incentives?

Minister Matien Kuol has so far requested the transfer of Jonglei secondary schools (SS) based in Malakal to their “respective Counties in order to benefit the communities directly.”

The schools to be relocated are Ayod SS to Ayod County, Riek Kerjok SS to Akobo, Ngudeng SS to Waat, Fangak SS to Fangak and Canal SS to Canal/Pigi County. A year one for the above schools will be opened for the first time in 2009 if at all the plan holds.

Mr. Matien says arrangement for the transfer of Pibor SS in Juba will be in next year planning. A government policy in the Sudan – which kept South in remoteness builds community schools in different localities with naming as the only recognition.

According to former Minister John Ayiei, who now serves as an Advisor in his professional field [as he put it], Members of Parliament asked equality distribution of teachers salaries to various Counties but never bend to that argument.

“The number of schools is not equal in all counties. The larger Counties…like Bor, Akobo and others have many schools and teachers,” Mr. Ayiei said. No member parliament was available to comment on this claim and explain the intention of MPs on fund allocation. With less than two weeks in office, Matien is yet set another shape of the ministry.

With part of Education Ministry offices operating in Bor Secondary school premises, Matien says it’s a prime task now. He also asserted those 64 schools; including 53 primary and 11 secondary schools; will have their construction facilitated by The Arab League commencing this year. Overcrowding in primary schools would then be reduced, he says.

(ST)