Thousands expelled from school

Students were asked to leave for not wearing uniforms; parents say the uniforms are too expensive

Parents of school students in Beer Degig refugee camp in West Darfur pleaded with school authorities on Thursday to reverse their decision of making school uniforms mandatory.Parents of the displaced school children told Radio Dabanga that they could not buy the shirts and pants prescribed by the school, given the high costs involved. “One set of uniform costs 70 pounds, that is impossible for us to afford with the increasing rate of poverty and the high cost of living in the camps,” one of the parents said.

He told Radio Dabanga that the number of children who could not afford to buy the uniforms was so high that nearly 3,000 children didn’t attend school during the last week because of being expelled for not wearing the uniform.

“The school should immediately go back on the decision so that the children do not lose their future because of this,” the parent said.

Shortage of teachers in Kandeby

Meanwhile, in Kandeby refugee camp, parents and guardians of children asked the school administration to reverse their recision of dismissing three volunteers who have been teaching in the school.

The school authorities aim to replace the three camp residents, who have been volunteering their services at the school, with new volunteers from outside the camp.

A member of the parents council told Radio Dabanga that the council had decided in a meeting to request the director of the school to reverse this decision or appoint teachers provided by the government.

The school has been unable to fill the shortage of teachers who had resigned prior to this academic year.