Higher Education Minister asked to improve working conditions of university lecturers

JUBA —The South Sudan Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology has been called upon to enhance the quality of education and the working conditions for university lecturers.

Kuyok Abol Kuyok, Minister of General Education and Instruction, made this call during the reception of the newly appointed minister of higher education in Juba on Monday.

“I believe if there is one problem we would ask our minister to solve, it is the issue of salaries for our professors and lecturers. This has been a persistent issue for a long time. So, let’s prioritize it,” Kuyok said.

Kuyok stressed the need to address the salary delay of university lecturers.

He noted that through collaboration, the Ministry of Finance was able to increase the salaries of professors, lecturers, and staff in higher education and universities.

“Universities, as you have heard, are autonomous. They have autonomy. The staff of the ministry and the universities must cooperate with our new minister to resolve these issues together,” he added.

For his part, Madut Biar Yel, newly appointed minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, promised to improve the quality of education.

“We are going to work together to improve the universities; we cannot, and we will not improve the universities out there without quality education, without effectively involving general education,” said Biar.

The public universities are facing pressing issues, particularly in the areas of financing, delay of salaries, and human resource allocation.