Schoolchildren return to school this Monday. Back to school day, a little more than two months after President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown by the military on July 26. Teachers’ unions say they are ready to start the year, but they are waiting for the toppled government’s promises to be kept.
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It’s a year quite special » which begins, we tell Synaceb. The National Union of Contract Agents and Basic Education Civil Servants believes that the prerequisites are met before the start of the school year.
Salaries have been paid, assignments made and the authorities assure that school supplies will be available to start classes. The union was invited to see loaded trucks leaving Niamey to transport them to the regions.
However, there remain certain demands to be met, which the union has not forgotten. The main one: the integration of contract teachers into the public service. The unions had signed a memorandum of understanding with the ousted government, but the commitments made have not yet been fully honored.
From now on, the union unit of basic contractual teachers sees “ great uncertainties » due to the sanctions imposed on Niger following the coup d’état. USECOB explains that many teachers have worked as contract workers for many years, and considers it essential that the government continues the recruitment program.
Once the start of the school year has passed, teachers in Niger wish to be received again by the Minister of Education, so that these questions can be addressed.