Teachers strike in South Darfur, students reject fees

Teachers in South Darfur’s Tullus locality entered into an open strike on Sunday, in protest against the non-payment of their salaries. University students in the state capital have denounced a decision that imposes high dormitory fees. Speaking to Radio Dabanga, teacher Mohamad Yagoub said that the strike against the non-payment of the salaries from October and the differences for the past six months will take place throughout the locality. The teachers’ union in Tullus stressed that South Darfur state has breached an agreement with the Central Union, stipulating that payrolls should be monthly. The latest strike by teachers in South Darfur dates only three months ago, when the educational staff of the state laid down its work for more than four weeks, against the non-payment of their entitlements since 2007. High fees for Nyala students In the state capital Nyala, the National Students Fund Endowment has imposed high fees on the university students. The fees on the dormitories ranged between SDG200 (35) a year for new students, SDG150 (26) for senior students, and SDG500 (88) for private admission students. A Nyala university student told Radio Dabanga that many students have denounced the decision, without the fund’s management taking into account the circumstances in Darfur. They described it as “unfair and irrational”, stressing that the management should invest in them instead of imposing higher fees. File photo: The University of Nyala, South Darfur, during training for youth (Albert González Farran / Unamid) Related: Arrears payment ends South Darfur education strike (28 August 2014)