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Sudan's teachers strike as inflation and war erode public school pay

Sudan's teachers strike as inflation and war erode public school pay

Money Moves

A third week of strikes in Khartoum State tests whether the government can pay arrears and raise a minimum wage frozen at 12,000 pounds.

Today: Strike enters third week

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Amal Suleiman Ahmed al-Haj has taught secondary school in Sudan for 26 years. Her monthly pay of 132,000 Sudanese pounds, about $13.20, buys less than one cooking-gas cylinder.

Teachers in Khartoum State are in the third week of a strike over pay, unpaid entitlements and classrooms with collapsed roofs. The dispute sits inside a wider collapse: war since April 2023 has damaged schools, displaced millions and left the currency worth a fraction of its former value.

Why it matters

If teachers cannot afford transport to school, Sudan's war-displaced children lose the public classrooms that remain.

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Key Indicators

132,000 Sudanese pounds
Monthly teacher salary in Sudanese pounds
Amal Suleiman Ahmed al-Haj's pay after 26 years, per Al Jazeera.
$13.20
Monthly teacher salary in US dollars
At the market rate cited by Al Jazeera.
3%
Share of family living costs covered by average teacher pay
Sudan Tribune, September 2026.
8 million
Children out of school
UN estimate cited by Al Jazeera.
500,000 pounds
Minimum monthly wage demanded by teachers
Up from 12,000 pounds, based on a cost-of-living study.
97%
Schools closed in North Darfur
Sudan Education Cluster data published in January.

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People Involved

AA
Amal Suleiman Ahmed al-Haj
Secondary school teacher in Khartoum State
On strike; 26 years in the profession
SA
Sami al-Baqir
Spokesperson, Sudanese Teachers' Committee
Leading the strike and demanding a 500,000-pound minimum wage
 Kamil Idris
Kamil Idris
Prime Minister of Sudan
Ordered arrears payments; has not met the wage demand

Organizations Involved

ST
Sudanese Teachers' Committee
Labor union
Coordinating strikes across Khartoum State and threatening nationwide action

The union body representing Sudan's public-school teachers.
SM
Sudan Ministry of Education
Government ministry
Target of teachers' petitions; has not resolved pay demands

Sudan's federal ministry responsible for education policy and schools.

Timeline

April 2023 November 2026

5 events Latest: Today
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Strike enters third week

    Today Labor action

    Teachers say pay buys less than a gas cylinder as collapsed classrooms remain in use.

  2. Khartoum teachers launch general strike

    Labor action

    Schools close unevenly as the union reports participation above 90% in Bahri, Ombada and Jebel Awliya.

  3. Prime Minister orders arrears payments

    Government action

    Kamil Idris orders money owed to teachers paid across all states, without a schedule or wage increase.

  4. Union says teacher pay covers 3% of living costs

    Report

    Sudanese Teachers' Committee finds average monthly wage of 128,125 pounds against 4.18 million pounds in family expenses.

  5. War between Sudan's army and Rapid Support Forces begins

    Conflict

    Fighting disrupts schooling, damages schools and turns some into shelters or military sites.

Scenarios

1

Government raises pay and clears arrears, strike ends

Possible Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: Sudanese Teachers' Committee, Sudan Tribune

The cabinet approves the 500,000-pound minimum wage and publishes a payment schedule for arrears dating to 2023. The union suspends strikes as payments reach teachers. This would require the Finance Ministry to find funds amid war and hyperinflation.

2

Strike spreads beyond Khartoum to all states

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Sudanese Teachers' Committee, Darfur24

The committee generalizes the strike after Khartoum's action, testing whether teachers in Darfur and other war-hit regions can sustain it. Participation would depend on local security and whether the government repeats partial payments.

3

Partial payments blunt the strike without a wage deal

Likely Resolves by Jan 31, 2027

Discussed by: Al Jazeera, Sudan Tribune

The government pays some overdue salaries and allowances but does not approve the 500,000-pound minimum. Teachers return unevenly as the union's leverage falls, leaving the wage demand unresolved.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

October 2019-present

Lebanon's currency collapse and teacher strikes (2019-present)

After 2019, Lebanon's pound lost most of its value and public-sector pay fell below transport and food costs. Public-school teachers struck repeatedly as parents moved children to private or foreign schools.

Then

The government began partial dollar payments to some public employees.

Now

The crisis showed that wage decrees without currency stability do not keep teachers in classrooms.

Why this matters now

Sudan's teachers face the same trap: a nominal salary and a currency that has collapsed beneath it.

2015-present

Yemen's civil war and school collapse (2015-present)

Civil war destroyed or occupied schools and left many teachers unpaid in Houthi-run areas. Aid groups stepped in to pay some salaries.

Then

Millions of children missed years of schooling.

Now

International donors became a parallel payer of teachers, weakening the state's role.

Why this matters now

Sudan's war has similarly turned schools into shelters and military sites, pushing the education system toward aid dependence.

Sources

(3)
Al Jazeera Darfur24 Sudan Tribune