A total of 17 teachers transferred to Groupe Kageyo in Gicumbi district from schools in Gihembe refugee camp have left the school citing failure of concerned parties to pay their salaries.
The teachers of senior one and two had been transferred to Groupe Scolaire Kageyo with 552 student refugees in March 2016, promised a pay-rise which has not been forthcoming.
“They promised us to receive same payments as teachers we met at Groupe Scolaire Kageyo but the promise was never honored. We claimed and were told that the matter is in process of being solved. We decided to leave since there were no changes occurred,” said Roger Kaberuka one of teachers who left the school.
Kaberuka says that after getting informed that there is no enough budget to fill the gap, they sent a resignation letter to Gicumbi district officials.
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) which is in charge of paying salaries of these teachers say they know the salaries are meager but had agreed with them to first conduct advocacy and increase the salary when support is found.
“Before teachers were transferred we agreed that we were going to conduct advocacy .We asked them to be patient with their meager salary till we get enough funding,” said Betty Batamuriza, the representative of ADRA in Gihembe refugee camp.
Batamuriza says that they have received on June 1st a claim letter signed by the 17 teachers that they will not return to the job in case their salary is not increased.
The executive secretary of Kageyo sector in Gicumbi district, Irankijije Nduwayo says that they received the first letter from the 17 teachers on May 19th, 2016 saying they would stop teaching the next day which prompted Gicumbi district to call a meeting with all stakeholders on May 25th, 2016 where teachers consented to wait the outcomes of the advocacy promised at the time.
Irankikije says that it is sad to see teachers leaving 700 students at school which he considers as lacking parental spirit.
“We were surprised to receive on June 1st, 2016 a resignation letter from 17 teachers brought by one of students at Groupe Scolaire Kageyo. We have a serious matter of 700 children lacking education after these teachers left,” he said.
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