South Sudan, World Bank to rehabilitate education system

August 13, 2009 (JUBA) — Southern Sudan Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the World Bank on August 13, 2009 launched an initiative to revamp four components of the education rehabilitation program supported by the Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Southern Sudan (MDFT-SS).

The four components of the Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) are Teachers’ Training, Alternative Education System, Institution Capacity Building and School and County Education Construction.

The Ministry’s 100-days plan, that will use the RRI for its implementation is being facilitated by a Kenyan consultant, Mr. George Khasiani who will be coaching the four teams tasked to produce key results in the four identified components of the program.

The World Bank Task Team Leader for Education Projects in Southern Sudan, Mr. Getahun Gebru, said at the launching ceremony that the idea to use the RRI was introduced to the Ministry team during by a World Bank mission in October 2008 as one of the potential management tool for speeding up the implementation of the education rehabilitation program which was falling behind schedule.

Explaining some of the challenges that slowed the education project implementation, the Acting under Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Lino Grikipio Wandu mentioned how difficult it was for the Ministry to supervise contracts because of shortages of personnel and the poor infrastructure in Southern Sudan.

According to Mr. Khasiani the RRI has been applied with success in Kenya, Burundi, Eritrea and Nicaragua. His advice to the staff of the Ministry and the other stakeholders is to be results focused and time conscious so that the targets are reached within the fixed time.

The southern Sudan education projects supported by the MDTF-SS to the tune of $25.5 million include rehabilitation and construction of primary schools, County Education Centres (CEC), provision of alternative education opportunities for adults, and other non formal learners, teachers training and building the capacity of the Ministry and its various institutions.

The MDTF was set up in 2005 soon after signing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) to end the war between the South and the North. It was a contribution by the international community to the reconstruction and recovery of the war ravaged areas of the Sudan.

The World Bank was invited by the Government, the SPLM and donor countries to administer the Fund on behalf of GoSS as at that time it did not have the necessary institutions in place to administer it. It was divided into MDTF –N (National) and MDTF-SS (for the South).

The major contributors to the Fund include Canada, Denmark, Egypt, European Commission, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the World Bank.

(ST)