Teachers marking primary eight (8) national examinations have stopped their work after disagreeing over the feeding contract and payment of incentives.
More than 60, 000 candidates sit for Certificate of Primary Education (CPE) in February this year. But their result is yet out despite secondary school reopening next month.
One of the markers speaks, Gathluak Nyah spoke to Catholic Radio Network. He says they have stopped marking because they received a new contract of 20,000 pounds which is out of their agreement.
Nyah highlighted that their agreement with the government is 35,000 pounds per week allocated for feeding and transport allowances but the deal changed without their knowledge
“When we come today, they brought another contract which is not equivalent to the agreement we signed, so they told us to be given 15,000 pounds only instead of 35,000.”
He says all the teachers marking the exams will not do their work until the Ministry agree on their demands.
“We have disagreed with the new contract of 15,000 pounds and we told them that we need the contract that gives us 35,000 pounds that is our contract for this week. Unless we go up to the third week then we can sit down and agree on the remaining days if we can make another new agreement.”
Gathluak calls on the minister to intervene in the matter before it gets out of hands
Another teacher marking science papers Mayen Ruoth says the incident of suspending marking is because they received different information on their transport and lunch.
Mayen adds that no reason to disown the agreed amount accepted by each teacher before marking the exam started
“Last week, we had a briefing at the National Secretary for examination in the Republic of South Sudan, so they told us that every week, we should be paid 35,000 as transport and lunch during marking.”
He said they will not mark the exams until when the Deputy National Minister of Education comes and give the reason why the money is deducted.
“Our measures number one is, if the national minister will not come and brief us, we will not go back to classes for marking that’s number one, number two is if our money is not paid the way we were contracted, we will not go back again to mark.”
He urges the national ministry of general education and instruction to give the full rights of the teachers’ marking the exams.
The Director of the examination Council promised to comment on the matter but later his phone went unanswered.