The Sudanese education system is facing a total collapse as the Sudanese Teachers Committee (STC) announced a nationwide escalation of protests this Saturday.
This decision comes after thousands of educators have gone years without pay, pushing those responsible for shaping the nation’s next generation into a state of extreme destitution.
The committee’s move signals a desperate turning point for a sector already crippled by regional instability and economic neglect.
The latest report from the STC paints a grim picture of financial abandonment across the country. While the war that broke out in April 2023 exacerbated the situation, the committee revealed that some unpaid arrears in Khartoum date back as far as 2019.
The wage crisis has now reached a “breaking point” where teachers can no longer afford the basic cost of living or the means to continue their service, leading to a breakdown in educational stability.
The geographic scope of the debt highlights the severity of the crisis across different states. Gezira State tops the list of neglect, with unpaid cash and clothing allowances dating back to 2022, alongside 14 months of missing salaries from 2023 through 2025.
In the White Nile, teachers are awaiting housing and meal allowances spanning from 2023 to early 2026, while North Kordofan and Sennar report massive payment gaps for nearly the entire 2024 and 2025 calendar years.
Sami al-Baqir, spokesperson for the STC, told Sudan Tribune that the authorities’ continued silence has forced the committee into a “gradual escalation” of protest actions. The strategy will begin with the formal submission of memos to relevant state and federal authorities.
However, a high-level pressure body has already been formed to manage “field actions” should these demands remain ignored. “The authorities’ neglect has forced our hand; we have planned a series of steps to ensure the dignity of the Sudanese teacher is restored,” the committee stated.
The timing of this protest is critical as Sudan remains embroiled in a protracted conflict where schools often serve as the only remaining sanctuaries for children.
Without salaries, many teachers have been forced to seek manual labor or flee the country, causing a massive brain drain.
The STC warns that unless a comprehensive financial settlement is reached, even the schools in relatively stable states may soon close their gates as educators are forced to prioritize their own survival over their profession.
