Schools have been turned into markets, laments Moyi

The deputy minister of General Education and Instruction Martin Tako Moyi (pictured) has protested a trend in which some schools are now being turned into markets after the closure of learning institutions.

 Mr Moyi was speaking on Monday during the re-opening of schools in the country

He said there are many other challenges facing the ministry even after the re-opening of the learning institutions, among them members of the public who fail to respect the school buildings.

“Most of the schools in Juba have become markets and no longer learning institutions,” he said.

 “I am appealing to the government to help and take actions to remove all the markets away from those schools wherever they are in the country,” he added.

He raised a red flag about the probability of missing teachers after many of them were lured by other more lucrative jobs due to the low-paying jobs.

“We want the president of this country to take the issue of teachers training and motivation very seriously,” Moyi said.

The vice president Hussein Abdelbagi Akol—who was the guest of honour during the re-opening of the school’s celebrations—said he was going to deal with the locals turning Juba schools into markets.

He made an order to all school administrations in the states and in Juba to demolish those shops and markets near schools.

“I don’t want to see businesses mixed with schools. Any schools that are mixed with shops and markets should be demolished and if that does not happen then I will go each [of those] schools and I will demolish those markets myself on my own way,” he said.

He encouraged the students to carry out the preventive measures of COVID-19 to reduce the coronavirus transmission.

Akol said the task force has also constituted a committee that would be monitoring the implementation of the measures.