A file picture of a teacher in South Sudan. (File photo/courtesy).

The European Union has announced an additional 700 million South Sudanese Pound incentives for primary school teachers in South Sudan.

The amount will cater to 33,000 educators for three months – from May to August this year.

In a statement seen by Eye Radio, the EU delegation to South Sudan together with the ministry of General Education and Instruction said the incentives will be given through the Impact education project.

The project seeks to complement the salaries that the government pays to the teachers.

The ministry and UNICEF said they have commenced the process of validating teachers in schools.

Teachers in state primary schools are now being urged to immediately resume their duties.

“We really struggled a lot to make sure that we could have this 700 million SSP to be able to extend it a little bit just to make sure that there is need for the teachers to go back to the schools,” Christian Bader, ambassador of the EU delegation to South Sudan, told Eye Radio on Thursday.

The incentives for the 33,000 teachers in public or state primary schools will be paid in cooperation with UNICEF.

Those teaching in alternative learning centers across the country will also benefit from the project.

However, the European Union said teachers who will not be validated will not qualify for the incentives.