Students got undemocratic headmaster fired

After a school debate on democratic leadership, the students at St. Joseph’s Secondary School in Yei, Southern Sudan, went to the county office and complained about their headmaster. As a result, the headmaster was fired.

“Argue in favour of democratic leadership as opposed to dictatorial leadership”. This was the assignment given to the students at St. Joseph’s Secondary School in Yei, Southern Sudan, as they were attending a school debate at Yei Community Resource Centre. The assignment quickly turned into much more than a competition because they realized that it was very relevant to their own situation.

”We learned that democratic leadership is best and we realised that bad leadership influenced the teaching at our school and that it could have a bad effect on our future,” 20 year old Taban says. He is in senior 3 at St. Joseph’s Secondary School.

The students decided to get the headmaster fired and since the Board of Governors at the school and the Parent-Teacher Association did not react, the students went directly to the education department at the county. Demonstrations are not common in Southern Sudan and the police often try to stop groups of people from expressing their discontent in public. Still, the students decided to walk from the school to the county office carrying signs with the words “We need change”.

“We did not fear because we now know that it is our right to have a democratic leadership at our school. This was not a violent strike. We did not destroy any property and we did not hurt the headmaster,” Taban says.

When the students reached the county office, the police came and asked them to return to their school but before the students did, they talked to representatives from the education department and later, the headmaster was fired.

“I am glad that we did it because now, the lessons are going on well and we are allowed to go and talk to the new headmaster. I am very happy about the school debates. I have learned so much and it has really affected my life,” Zacharia Taban Agustine says.

Students must know their rights
School debates are part of the Yei Community Resource Centre’s democracy programme for youths which is supported by MS Sudan. The purpose is to teach the youths about their rights.

“We want the students to ask questions and demand that decisions that have an influence on them are taken in a consultative way,” says Eric J. Moses, manager at Yei Community Resource Centre. He is happy that the students are using their new knowledge.

“I think it was a good way for them to raise the issue. They knew which source they could go to and demand their rights. So instead of making a hard time for the headmaster, they went straight to the county department. It was a good approach and we encourage that,” he says.

The education director does not fully agree.

“The approach was poor but the case was good. Going on strike is not a good way to react because it can cause destruction but the reason for their reaction was genuine. The students should have written a memo to the Board of Governors at the school and let them intervene instead. However, the students’ actions did result in a change of administration of the school and it is very good that they have realised their rights and we very much encourage students to advocate for their rights when there is a problem in a school,” Amule Felix Lasu, education director at Yei River County, says.

“I am very happy about the school debates. I have learned so much and it has really affected my life,” says Zacharia Taban Agustine, senior 3 student at St. Joseph’s Secondary School. Photo: Janne Bruvoll.