Sudan teachers’ unions threaten with exams boycott

The Sudanese General Association of Education has threatened to boycott the examinations of the basic and high secondary stages coming March in protest against a decision by the Ministry of Finance regarding financial allowances.

Teachers would strike from supervising pupils during the large-scale examinations in Khartoum, the general teachers' union said in a statement today. They disagree with the cancellation of the annual payment of financial allowances the ministry recently decided on.

The annual payment includes financial allowances for clothes, breakfasts at the school and a bonus for Eid el-Adha and Eid Mubarak.

The association has directed all affiliated teachers and educational workers in Khartoum to boycott all activities for the exams for the basic and secondary school stages, unless the ministry revokes its decision and the payments of financial allowances will take place.

March is the examination period of the basic school children to secondary school children. Starting April, exams take place in the higher secondary school until university.

Nyala

Teachers in Nyala and Nyala North localities have not received payments of financial allowances since 2012 and also plan to go on strike from school examinations activities.

The teachers' union in the two localities issued a statement on Thursday to clarify its position. The state has not committed itself to paying the allowances of the employees of the Ministry of Education from 2012 until 2016, and they have not received their latest monthly salary.

The protest would harm basic and secondary school stages in the midst of examinations, as teachers may strike from invigilating exams.

The teachers’ union also demands increasing the employees' meal allowance to SDG300 ($46) instead of SDG220 ($33.70) to be included in their salaries, "similar to employees in other Sudanese states".