Teacher training institute in Rumbek closed indefinitely

By Manyang Mayom

March 22, 2011 (RUMBEK) – The principal of Aramweer National Teacher Training Institute in Rumbek announced on Monday that education center in Lakes state has been closed due to lack of food and medical care. Trainee teachers were attending seven month course at the Rumbek center before it was closed.

Over 400 teachers came from states across South Sudan to attend the course on teacher capacity building. The institute has been operating for the last four months with a lack of health facilities, sleeping materials and food.

Last month teachers attending the institute staged a peaceful protest accusing the principal of mistreating them in terms of providing food. They also claimed that there were not able to use basic facilities such as latrines and sleeping rooms.

Many students are sleeping in tents but students say that the official building meant for the institute has been locked by principal without reason.

However the principal, Jacob Maker Macek, said Monday that all official buildings were locked by UNICEF and there was no key left for him to use for opening again the rooms. He said that the only solution is to allow students to sleep inside tents.

Speaking on Monday, Maker said that “today we have closed down the institute because of lack of food. We have been waiting from Juba ministry of education to send us budget for this second term but it has been very difficult – so I have been trying my best for all this two month to feed them with food from WFP but they have complain that they have no medicine for themselves”.

The indefinite closure of Aramweer National Teacher Training Institute is for the first time since it was officially opened in 2010.

(ST)