Education Day in Juba while GOSS continues to send its children abroad

GOSS has decided to teach its children in the English language. But does this create more division within our people?

Thousands of school children in Juba gathered at Nyakuron Cultural Center yesterday to celebrate South Sudan's Education Day.  The celebration day under the theme let all children go to school” was started in April 2005 by President Kiir to encourage all boys and girls to go to school.

Southern Sudan has a much higher illiteracy rate compared to the North. This is because of the civil war that interrupted education in this region. But also some cultures are to blame for the high illiteracy rate especially amongst girls. For example, in some communities, girls are not even allowed to go to school.

Parents of school children attending the celebrations

The Government in Central Equatoria State has been criticised for not doing enough in the education sector. Teachers have take more than three months without getting their salaries which has caused children and teachers to go on strike in Juba and across the Southern States. As a result, those parents that can afford to take their children to study in Uganda and Kenya do so leaving the poorer families to face a bad education.

South Sudan Minister of Education Prof. Job Dhurai said more than 1.6 million children had enrolled in local schools in South Sudan since this program was launched after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). How ever, shortages of classrooms and teachers remain major challenges the educational program.

Dr Luka Monoja. Cabinet Affairs Minister

Dr Luka Monoja, the South Sudan Cabinet Affairs Minister who represented President Kiir read out a speech expressing the President's seriousness to live up to his education commitments that he made during the election campaign. Education was one of the top priorities in Kiir’s manifesto and citizens are very keen to see that these promises are fulfilled.
 
Another challenge the government is facing is to unify the curriculum. Southern Sudan currently has used many different syllabus' over the years including Ugandan, Kenyan, Ethiopian and the recently introduced Southern Sudan syllabus. Two languages of English and Arabic are still mostly used but the government has just introduced English as the major language for instruction in schools. However, many teachers have been trained in Arabic especially in Juba, Wau and Malakal so this requires a big re training of teachers with language and teaching skills, which many believe the Government does not have the resources to achieve.  The change to only the English medium though many see as unnecessary and more about politics than about education.    

If the new SPLM Government wants to win the trust of the people, it must put more resources into the education sector rather than sending its own children to study abroad, as it has done up to now.  A educated nation will have many positive affects on the economy and success of our nation.