Private local investors foster education campaigns in Bor Town

Philip Thon Aleu

May 17, 2008 (BOR, Jonglei) – Private sectors make a significant breakthrough in backing ‘take all children to school’ campaign in Jonglei capital Bor town where government supported schools are over congested and pupils chances of learning reduced.

A three weeks old Royal Junior primary school (photo) (private) represented a poem Friday May 16 SPLM’s 25th Anniversary commemoration of the war of liberation of marginalized people of Sudan, in an apparent show of superiority in their earning environment.

The kids song a songs in English to the surprise of many people. “If you take all children to school, the future is assured and liberation is completed,” their song goes in part. Teacher John Kur teach says he enjoy teaching them because they few, sharp and manageable.

“These kids enjoy learning, especially in the morning and I like that,” he said. Royal Junior is the third private school providing quality nursery school facilities in Bor Town. Directors of private schools say it is a commitment to serve the nation cohesively with the government.

“It is a scarify to open this school. I am not making money at all as far now,” Micheal Kur, the owner of Royal Junior school told Sudan Tribune adding that many pupils have romping in the town claiming that all schools have closed registration and thus decided to cater for those who may afford on private basis.

A group of upper class pupils accused state government last month of not making enough to ensure quality education in Jonglei state.

The pupils outlined delay opening of schools, lack of joint examinations and mixed syllabus taught in schools. Some primary schools in Bor Town enroll up to 2,000 pupils despite limited classroom. Others considered as unpopular and poorly are desert of pupils.

In Bor “B” primary school, primary one enrollment for 2008 academic year is over 500. Some upper classes takes up to 150 pupils per class. This basically increases chances of pupils failure to learn and teacher’s work load increased, a teacher claims.

“You can not know who is not listening, you can’t move freely in the class,” Jok Marial, a teacher at Bor “A” said asserting that pupils remain playing around the school compound whether it is break time or not. “You can’t control such a class,” he said.

The surging number of private schools in Bor Town is due to counter react the increasing population in the town. Many returnees have failed to fit in villages alongside the rural-urban migration triggers by child abduction in villages.

(ST)