While government has previously promised proper remuneration of teachers, low salaries and the delay in payment is now threatening the provision of quality education

By The City Review

“Teaching is a sacrifice. Please continue with that spirit.” This was the closing remark by Oyet Ambrose, the Director for Adult Training in the State Ministry of Education in Eastern Equatoria state following the conclusion of a two-year in-service teachers training certificate program in Torit.

Oyet, however, was quick to highlight the challenges teachers go through, saying:

“Yes, teachers have been trained but some are leaving the profession. Sometimes you are unable to blame them since their welfare is not taken into consideration. If they don’t get their money on time, they opt to look for alternative sources of income,” he added.  

The teacher trainer’s message was echoed by another teacher, Magret Felix, from Imehejek administrative area, who revealed that the delay in teachers’ salaries had pushed some of her colleagues to quit the profession.

“The teaching profession has its own share of challenges. Doing the work while you are hungry and broke makes it more difficult. With the situation in the country, added to the delay in payment of salaries, discourages and makes professionals to quit. Most of the teachers have families, and children that depend on them,” she said.

She called on the national government to improve the welfare of teachers across the country to help maintain them in the profession, stating that teachers are an important resource in the country.  

“The government should improve the welfare of our teachers because teachers are the key to everything. They teach our doctors, and even the president, at some point, passed through the hands of a teacher. That is why teachers fall in the category of essential service providers like the armed forces,” she said.  

“Therefore, teachers should not enter into a classroom hungry or broke. The frustration of having left their family with nothing to eat may cause serious effect to their mental health and to the students.”

Margret urged her fellow teachers not to lose hope in delivering on their profession, but asked the government to appreciate the good work done by them. Many teachers at the event expressed their fair share of challenges.

According to Oyet, the delay in payment of salaries to teachers had pushed many of them out of the profession to look for alternative sources of income to cushion their families. Oyet attributed the issues to inadequacies in the system, something that has demotivated teachers.  

“However, a good number have remained and sacrifice to ensure they help the students. That is why we still have primary eight and senior four sitting for their examinations because of the sacrifice of these teachers. Please continue with that spirit. Teaching is a sacrifice,” he said.

Chairperson of the National Union of Teachers, Garang Deng Kuol, while speaking to a local leading radio, said even though teachers across the country continued to remain faithful and committed to their work, daily life conditions is unfavourable.

“It is clear for all of us that government employees, country-wide, face the same challenge, but the situation of teachers’ job environment is not conducive compared to other public sectors. Currently, the teachers’ payment is not favouring the daily conditions while also delaying for 10 months, which causes teachers dropout from schools looking for other jobs,” he said.

Sharing her comments after the release of the 2023 Senior Four examination results, which showcased significant decline in student performance in Western Equatoria State, Ms. Namaku Natalia, the President of the South Sudanese Students’ Union in Uganda who hails from the region, offered a broader perspective on the crisis.

“The recently released secondary school results have sent shock-waves through our community. In some counties, like Mundri East and Nzara, not a single student passed. This is more than just a disappointing outcome,” Natalia said.

She expressed more concern, reflecting on teachers’ compensation and the results. “It is a crisis that calls into question the quality of education in our state. If teachers are well-compensated, as many private schools claim, they must be held responsible for these failures. This isn’t just about the students; the schools themselves must reevaluate their teaching methods and academic environments.”

While government has previously promised to support education sector through proper remuneration of teachers, low salaries and the delay in payment is now threatening the provision of quality education. Teachers ask government among other relevant stakeholders to consider their welfare to safeguard the future of the crucial sector.