Western Bahr El Ghazal Education Minister Michael Madut says many teachers have left the profession in both secondary and primary schools and joined the army.

The official explains that teachers face hardships because they are paid less than other government employees. For this reason some of them joined the organized forces, The Citizen Newspaper reported.

Earlier this month it was reported that the army opened a training centre at Gette in Jur River County. The county commissioner John Arop Apai said they registered 1,237 youths for national military service.

Recruitment numbers from other counties in Western Bahr al Ghazal have not been made available, but active recruitment has been ongoing. In mid-January the governor made a visit to Raja County to rally support for the effort.

According to the education minister, the state lacks qualified teachers, which contributed to poor results in the recent Primary Leaving Certificate exams.

Minister Madut added that teachers are doing other jobs due to lack of motivation, calling on the national government to urgently tackle the problem.

He also cited lack of textbooks in secondary schools as one of the major problems facing Western Bahr El Ghazal state.

Photo: New recruits listen to speeches by officers and politicians at Basilia Payam, Western Bahr al Ghazal, 14 March 2014 (Gurtong)

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