Teacher shortage in West Darfur camps

Students and pupils of basic and secondary schools in Sirba locality, West Darfur, have complained of a severe shortage of classrooms and qualified teachers, especially science teachers. A listener told Radio Dabanga that all nine schools in the Sirba camps for the displaced are struggling to find qualified teachers, working with volunteers instead. The Sawani East basic school (280 pupils) and the Sawani West basic school (320 pupils) have one qualified teacher each. The Jibal Arado basic school of Abu Suruj, with 303 male and female pupils, has three qualified teachers and the Torliong basic school (120 pupils) was able to attract two qualified teachers. Three teachers from the Ministry of Education are working at the Kondobe basic school (1247 male and female pupils). The school could benefit from the efforts of six volunteers until recently, but they have since left for economic reasons, The Armenkol basic school has registered 700 pupils, but the school’s two teachers have not been able to teach due to the absence of classrooms. The Banjadeed basic school has two teachers for 400 pupils, and at the Abu Suruj basic school, one teacher is teaching 310 pupils. According to the source most of the students have dropped out and gone in search of a job instead. He appealed to the Ministry of Education to care for the schools in the camps for the displaced in West Darfur so that the pupils and students can continue their studies. File photo by Unamid