Nov 18, 2020(Nyamilepedia) — Secondary school teachers in Lakes State have gone on strike over unpaid COVID-19 incentives since the schools reopened in October.
These teachers said that they have written letters to the National Ministry of Education together with the state ministry of education in Rumbek.
“When reopening of senior 4 classes was announced by the national ministry of education, they promised to pay teachers Covid-19 incentives but since October, which is exactly one month now, no incentives are being paid to us and this is the reason we wrote a petition to the national ministry of education and a copy was given to the state ministry of education in Rumbek,” Makur Nyot said.
Makur asked the ministry to resolve their issue as they have already laid down their tools.
“We fixed Friday last week as the last day for all teachers to lay down their tools if nothing is resolved,” said Makur Nyot. “As we speak now we are not teaching in Rumbek Secondary School. The lessons that we gave stopped last Friday and all government secondary school’s teachers will not provide lessons to learners this week if our incentives are not paid.”
The director-general of the ministry of education in Lakes State, Alfred Agolder Mathok acknowledged receiving the letter but said the matter is supposed to be handled by the national ministry.
“Yes, it is the national ministry of education in Juba that is responsible for their incentive payments and not the state and that is why Windle Trust International is here to facilitate the approval from Juba and then from here to the schools,” he said.
He also explained that the incentives are paid from the donor impact money and which is handled by the ministry of national education together with our partners but not the states.
The students in the public schools in the lakes sympathized with their teachers saying that they should be paid their dues.
“Our teachers have rights and they deserve motivation and there is no need to delay their payments,” Piath said.
“This is why we in government schools fail during the examination because we are not being taught well because there is no teacher that commits himself while his family is suffering without food. But if the government pays them their money, they can commit to teaching the students and we will pass examinations,” said Rezekiah Mathot Meen.
