Jonglei’s schoolchildren challenge state education system

By Philip Thon Aleu

April 21, 2008 (BOR, Jonglei) – Long holidays and low number of schools in Jonglei state is an “academics weevil,” teachers and pupils expressed here Saturday April 19 at a seminar organized by primary teachers and high school students at Bor “A” primary school. They (teachers and pupils) call on the state government to consider reviving education system.

Schools in Jonglei state opens on April 1 despite using East African and New Sudan curriculum; calendar teachers and pupils call unacceptable. “There is no system here,” Thon Bol, a primary eight pupil in Bor “B” primary school told Sudan Tribune at the seminar.

The teachers on the other hand complain about low teacher-pupils ratio. “In Bor “B” primary school, I registered 1,800 pupils in the first two weeks of the academics year that started on April 1st,” Deng Machok, deputy head teacher revealed pointing that there are only ten (10) teachers recruited to teach in the school.

This arithmetically puts teacher: pupils’ ratio at 1:180, and substantially reducing children’s chances of learning. Moreover, there is only one classroom block serving upper classes of Primary 8, 7 and 6. Other classes learn under trees or seasonal tents set-up by school administration, Mr. Machok lamented a visible problem at his school.

The seminar that attracted 78 pupils was organized by Garang Institute students in conjunction with Bor “B” school authorities. It is the first time higher learning Jonglei citizens had made to help the ailing education format in the state through seminar.

The teachers-pupils’ challenge to Jonglei state style of education is not an accident. An international lecturer and a born from Jonglei, Prof. Agrey Ayuen elaborated at the opening ceremony of John Garang Institute on February 1 that teaching is poor at the low level of learning in Southern Sudan.

“We find a lot of difficulties in teaching students at the Universities, and this is an indication that something must be wrong at the primary or secondary levels,” Prof. Agrey said referring to how weak how the curriculum is developed adding that the ministry of education must do something.

On the other hand, the organizers of the weekend’s seminars call upon the state government to come to their rescue. “We do not have means to transport teachers from various parts of Bor town to Bor “A,” no funds to afford lunch for teachers and pupils and other teaching materials,” head of the seminar organizers and a student at John Garang Institute Abraham Dhieu Machar told Sudan Tribune adding, “we too demand a word of courage from our elders.”

He encouraged pupils to be tolerant and challenge the government by coming to schools despite what pupils call “lack of system.” The pupils welcome the move to have seminars organized over weekend but fear ministry of education may not support the program.

“The seminar is okay,” Ding Stephen, a primary eight pupils noted, but who will like it, he concluded.

Effort to back government’s LEAVE NO CHILD BEHIND campaign is likely to fail if source of ‘motivating facilitation’ is not rescue. Arrangement made to interview state education ministry on issues pertaining curriculum, lengthy holidays that deprived school children of coverage, few numbers of schools in the state, low provision of teaching aid facilities, few classrooms and high teacher: pupils’ ratio failed as the state education ministry officials were not available.

(ST)