COTE D'IVOIRE: TEACHERS WITHHOLD EXAM

UNCLAS ABIDJAN 000927 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB PGOV IV SUBJECT: COTE D'IVOIRE: TEACHERS WITHHOLD EXAM RESULTS IN PROTEST OVER PAYMENT REF: ABIDJAN 789 ¶1. (U) As of August 18, public secondary school teachers in the government-controlled zone are refusing to release results from the baccalaureate exam (required for entry to university) until they are paid for grading them. (Note: Exams in the rebel-controlled zone are scheduled to start August 28.) The teachers are demanding a total of 461 million CFA (922,000 USD). Teachers began grading the exam on August 7, and results were supposed to be published August ¶15. ¶2. (SBU) On July 18 the teachers announced that they were resuming an earlier strike (ref A). Prompt payment for proctoring and grading the exams was one of their key demands. On July 24, the day the strike was supposed to resume, the Ministry of Education announced the formation of a committee -- comprised of representatives of the Ministries of Education, Finance and Labor, and the teachers' unions -- to address the teachers' demands. On the strength of this action, the teachers called off their strike. The exams proceeded normally. Then on August 7, the day the teachers started grading the exams, they once again urgently raised the pay issue. The Ministry responded that they would be paid on September 15. The teachers then accused the Ministry of using delaying tactics, and they announced that they would withhold the results of the exams until they are paid. ¶3. (SBU) Sources in the Collective of Unions of the Education/Training sector 8Collectif des Syndicats du Secteur Education-Formation," (CSSEF) tell us they believe the Ministry of Education is now attempting to bypass them by sending the exam papers to private school teachers in other cities of the government-controlled south for grading. ¶4. (SBU) Comment: The teachers realize that once the results of the exams are released they will have no more leverage to force the Ministry to address the pay issue or any of their other demands until after the school year starts again this fall. For now, they are hanging tough. End Comment. Hooks