Angry students protest strike by Western Equatoria’s non-teaching staff
By Richard Ruati
July 13, 2009 (YAMBIO) — Angered over the indefinite strike by non-teaching staff in Western Equatoria State that has paralyzed teaching for over three months, hundreds of students Monday and Tuesday took to the streets here (Yambio) in protest and pelted stones at the police.
The Police arrested more than 20 students.
About 500 non-teaching staff of Primary and Secondary schools went on an indefinite strike from April to demand adjustment salaries. The strike has crippled the teaching as well as administrative work in the primary and secondary schools.
Despite the new academic session beginning July 1, all the schools are yet to big teaching lessons. “It is the first time in the last 10 years when the new session has not started in July this year,” a student, said.
At least half a dozen students were injured in police cane-charge when they were pelting stones at state Ministry of Education offices and vehicles. “Some students were injured and some taken into custody,” a police official admitted.
Police alleged that the protesting students were creating trouble outside Ministry’s HQs and had tried to break the Iron Gate. They also pelted stones at the police personnel deployed at the near the Ministry, police officials said.
The students’ Head says the teachers have not made any attempt to end strike. “The teachers are behaving as though they have no role to play in ending the strike,” said a student leader of WESSA (Western Equatoria State Students’ Association).
He added that, “students were eager to know why the teachers are not teaching despite having got their 80% salary of April and May respectively, their (students) aim is to know exactly what was or is the cause of the ongoing strike by the teachers.”
“[We] had gone to ask these questions, to our surprise, we were surrounded by police forces, we beaten and taken to the police cells,” added the Students’ Head.
According to one of the teachers, the non-teaching staff of schools went on strike on April, after the teachers of other states did so. “The strike in WES schools is around 90 days old, but the government is yet to initiate a dialogue with the striking staff,” he said.
Acting Governor Col Joseph Ngere Pachiko Tuesday expressed unhappiness over the strike, saying “it has derailed the revival process of education in the state.”
He added that, “the strike is being fuelled by the adamant teachers who are ignorant to understand the situation of the state, as the issue is not only in WES, for example in Western Bahr Ghazel, teachers get 65%, in Bentiu with 2% of oil money is paying 70% and Rumbek is 75%.”
He (Col Ngere) stressed that, “the students could have consulted the Director of Primary and Secondary schools of Ministry of Education before taking anti-industrial action of stoning the police and massive destruction of government properties.”
Col Ngere refereed to the students’ violent demonstration as “projection of more problems by the disgruntled teachers.” He added that, “this will not solve the problem,” adding that, “violent demonstration is illegal; the state will deal with the perpetrators.”
In related news, students smashed down one motorbike from a finance official who was on her way to the office this morning.
The students’ bodies have threatened to intensify their protest unless academic activity is resumed. Parents of the idle students continue to plea that, “all workers under Public services should be treated with an egalitarian manner.”
(ST)