Teachers’ shortage, salary delays blamed for exam failure at Lui Girls School

School principal says the institution has struggled to maintain academic standards since 2020 due to the lack of government support and the departure of qualified teachers for better paying jobs

By Emmanuel Mandella

The administration of Lui Girls National Secondary School in Mundri East County of Western Equatoria State has raised alarm over the deteriorating state of education at the institution, attributing the continued poor performance in national exams to a severe shortage of qualified teachers and exacerbated salary delays.

The school’s principal, Mr. Benjamin Garile, said the institution has struggled to maintain academic standards since 2020 due to the lack of government support and the departure of qualified teachers who left the profession in search of better opportunities.

Speaking in an interview with The City Review on Wednesday, Garile revealed that he is currently the only government-employed teacher at the school.

At the same time, the rest of the teaching staff are volunteers who have been working without pay for several years.

“Currently, I am the only government teacher here in Lui Girls National Secondary School; the rest are volunteers who have been helping the school since 2020, yet they have not received any payment.”

Garile explained that the absence of regular salaries and incentives has discouraged many trained teachers from continuing in the profession, forcing them to seek alternative employment to support their families.

“I have been moving up and down to the national Ministry of Education trying to follow up on the issue of teachers’ payment, but my concerns have only been heard without any concrete action,” he said.

According to the principal, the consequences of the staffing crisis have been devastating for students.

He noted that the school has recorded a 100 percent failure rate in national examinations since 2020, a situation he attributes directly to the lack of qualified educators.

“The performance of the school has been very poor in national examinations because there are not enough qualified teachers to handle the subjects,” Garile said.

He also expressed frustration over his own salary situation, saying that despite his long service, he has not been paid for years.

“Currently I am a Grade Four teacher supposed to receive 130,000 SSP per month, but from 2020 up to now I have not received my salary,” he said.

“Imagine working all these years without pay. How can that motivate someone to continue teaching?”

Garile appealed to both the state government and the authorities in Mundri East County to intervene urgently by deploying qualified teachers and ensuring that those already serving receive their salaries.

“I am appealing to the government and all education stakeholders to support the teachers and deploy qualified staff to our school,” he said. “Without proper motivation and support, education in this area will continue to decline.”

Despite the challenges, Garile acknowledged that local communities have made efforts to support the school by providing basic materials and encouraging students to attend classes.

However, he said community contributions alone cannot solve the structural challenges facing the education sector.

“The community has tried its best to support the students, but without teachers and proper government support, it is difficult for the school to meet national standards,” he added.

The crisis facing Lui Girls National Secondary School reflects broader challenges affecting government schools across Western Equatoria State.

The State Minister of General Education and Instruction, Gibson Bullen Wande, acknowledged the difficulties and said the issue of teacher salaries has significantly affected the education system.

“I think the concern about having a single qualified teacher in a secondary school like Lui reflects the same challenges faced by many government secondary schools in Western Equatoria State,” Wande said.

According to the minister, prolonged delays in the payment of salaries have forced many qualified teachers to abandon their profession.

“Because of the delay in paying teachers’ salaries, many qualified teachers have left their duty stations and joined other institutions where they can earn a living,” he explained.

Wande said the government is aware of the crisis and has begun assessing the conditions of government schools across the state to determine the most urgent needs.

“As a ministry we have embarked on an assessment of all government schools, including primary and secondary schools, to identify what needs to be done to revive them,” he said.

He added that the government recently held a joint meeting with education partners and senior officials to explore solutions aimed at revitalizing public schools.

“We are working with our partners to see how we can improve learning facilities and address the issue of teacher motivation,” Wande said.

The minister emphasized that improving teachers’ welfare, particularly through timely salary payments, remains the most critical step toward restoring confidence in the public education system.

“The major challenge our schools are facing is the lack of motivation for teachers. Salary payment is what encourages teachers to remain in the profession,” he said.

Beyond Mundri East County, similar problems have been reported in several other parts of Western Equatoria State.

Wande said counties such as Tombura and Nzara are experiencing comparable challenges, including teacher shortages and declining student enrollment.

“We have received reports from many counties with government secondary schools facing the same difficulties,” he said.

Even in the state capital, Yambio, some schools are struggling to operate effectively.

“When we held a meeting at Yambio Secondary School, we discovered that student registration was very low,” Wande explained.

The situation is further compounded by insecurity in some areas, particularly in counties previously affected by conflict.

In Nagero County, for example, students’ enrollment remains very low despite relative calm in recent months.

“Enrollment in Nagero is still minimal even though the situation has stabilized,” Wande said. “We have sent a delegation to assess the situation and provide us with detailed information.”

The minister said the government is working closely with county authorities and local communities to address these challenges and encourage parents to send their children back to school.

Education advocates warn that unless urgent measures are taken to address teacher shortages and salary delays, the quality of education in government schools across Western Equatoria could continue to deteriorate.

For schools like Lui Girls National Secondary School, the future of hundreds of students now depends on whether the government can act swiftly to restore teacher motivation and strengthen the state’s struggling education system.