By Hou Akot Hou
Northern Bahr El Gazal State’s (NBGs) Legislative Assembly has summoned Akoon Diing Angok, the state Minister of General Education.
The summons is meant for the minister to explain to the House of Representatives pressing issues such as the increment of exam fees for candidates.
This followed a report of an increment in examination fees for the primary eight candidates who are expected to sit for exams soon.
The minister is expected to explain why primary candidates are charged150,000 South Sudanese pounds (SSP) as exam fees.
Speaking to the media, Garang Kuol Mabior, the chairperson of the information committee in the assembly, expressed that the agreed exam fees for candidates were 120,000 SSP for private schools and 80 SSP for public schools.
He reiterated that such fees were agreed upon as per the circular obtained from the national ministry of general education.
Kuol said there are a lot of things that are worth bewildering or worth questioning in the ministry that prompted them to ask the state’s education minister.
“There are a lot of issues for which we need to inquire about a lot of things from the minister of education in this state. But first thing first, the P8 candidates are something very prime or significant that we want the minister of education to clarify for us.” Kuol said.
“The minister has a lot of issues that we want to be clarified as per how the education is looking in the state, as you know that some schools aren’t functioning well,” he added.
The Education minister is, however, given one week to appear before the parliament and answer the necessary questions.
Other official who didn’t want to be named for fear of reprisal said the recent imprisonment of some teachers will also surface during the summons.
He alleged that the minister, with his director general as well as senior inspectors in the ministry, acted contrarily to the rules that govern the teachers’ union.
The officials revealed that the union, whose mandate is to advocate for the teachers’ welfare, including their right to demand the delay of salaries,
Mabior added that they have given the ultimatum to the education minister to appear before the assembly members in Northern Bahr El Gazal in one week.