Abyei screens out over 100 unqualified teachers

By Ngor Arol Garang

May 8, 2010 (WUNROK) — Authorities from the oil rich region of Abyei have on Saturday disclosed having screened out a number reported to be more than one hundred teachers found to have no relevant academic papers required to be in their personal files as requirement by public service policy.

In December 2009, President Omer Al-Bashir responded to SPLM recommendation to relieve ex-Abyei chief administrator Brigadier General Arop Mayak Monytoc and replaced him with Deng Arop Kuol, following emergence of differences between former chief administrator and two of his cabinet members over defiance to implement administrative instructions.

Following his appointment, the new chief administrator, Deng Arop Kuol vowed to reform the system and started with a call for establishing of proper employment system by verifying documents in the files of each and every employees serving Abyei administration.

This verification of academic papers in all the departments of the five secretariats became the basis of promotion and demotion based on merits and years of experiences with secondary school certificate being one of document considered as maximum requirement.

Albino Mirior Aguer, Director General of GOSS public service and human resources Development, on Saturday told Sudan Tribune by phone from Abyei that he and the team are almost finishing with the screening and disclosed that they have screened out a number more than hundred school teachers without proper documents.

“I cannot remember now but I believe a number around hundred people without proper documents from the department of education mainly teachers alone have been found to have no proper documents, Albino said stressing they have been given two months to bring their documents.

The committee has given only two months to those who said they have documents to bring and if they fail to bring them, committee will decide on what to do with these people, he said revealing that those who will fail to bring documents will be appointed as unclassified staff.

If they fail to bring any secondary document, they will be graded as unclassified staff; Mirior said explaining that unclassified employees are those who do not have proper documents.

He said classified staff starts with people who have secondary school leaving certificates and beyond. Fresh secondary school leaving certificates are given grade 12 (twelve) while fresh university graduates are given grade 9 (nine), he explained emphasizing promotions are made after four years on the same grade in the same position.

On Thursday 6 May, at the fifth anniversary of its “Go to School” initiative, celebrated in Juba, The GOSS caretaker minister for Labor, Public Service and Human Resource Development, Awut Deng Acuil, challenged the education stakeholders to make good use of the resources which are currently available to them.

She is further reported to have decried the cases of those she termed as “half-baked” teachers in certain schools who do not add any value to the education of children in those areas and recommended that such quacks should be removed from the payroll.

“GOSS cannot continue to expend money on people who are not giving quality services to the citizens”, Awut reportedly told crowds gathered at the celebration site in Juba.

Acuil also challenged the stakeholders to move beyond mere numbers and focus on quality and urged them to prioritize education. “Southern Sudan may be rich materially but without human resources, it cannot move forward; education is the backbone of this nation, she said.

To move to the next level, the stakeholders agreed that the sector should develop relevant systems, standards, capacity; lobby the legislation of the Education Act which is currently pending before the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly (SSLA); develop Education Sector Plan; strengthen stakeholder partnerships; and expand secondary school systems.

Our work remains largely undone; there are challenges but we must surmount them”, reportedly explained by Mr. Martin Mou Mou Athian Kuol, the Undersecretary of the GOSS ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

(ST)