Teachers in Jonglei refuse to end strike

November 27, 14 (BOR) – The teachers in Jonglei state’s Bor have refused to call off a strike that has been going on for almost a month now.

Speaking to senior school inspectors in Bor, teachers said the strike shouldn’t be called off until they receive their first salary with housing allowances added.

School inspector Gabriel Panchol said the ministry may be forced to formulate ways of forcing teachers to return to work or risk losing their jobs.

“These allowances were not budgeted [for] … There is no point the teachers remained on strike,” he told Sudan Tribune in Bor on Tuesday.

Hundreds of primary and secondary schools remained unprepared to sit for their final exams at the end of the school year.

Panchol said the ministry of education departments of primary and secondary education had considered a plan to hold exams for learners due to be promoted to a higher class next year, but the plan was deemed unrealistic.

Meanwhile, the state minister of information, Judy Jonglei, told Sudan Tribune on Thursday that teachers should resume their classes, saying the payment would be done as planned.

“We said earlier that months of July to October allowances would be paid in [the] form of arrears, while the allowances of November and the months ahead would be paid directly on top of salaries. The government has been very clear on this,” he said.

“We don’t need any pressure to do this. If they said they need to be paid first, then time for exams and other office jobs would wait. December is near for them to go for [a] break. The position of the government is that they should resume now, period,” he added.

(ST)