Warrap urges pastoralists to value education

December 09, 2009 (JUBA) — The Southern State government of Warrap has on Wednesday urged cattle keeping communities in the area to value education for their children.

Keeping Livestock is not bad but we have to look at how depriving this culture is, said Atem Atem, Gogrial East County commissioner while addressing pupils sitting local primary school examinations in Lietnhom.

This culture deprives most of our children from going to schools because they have to look after cattle as their first assignments given to them by their parents, he said.

“When I was young, I remembered my parents me praising for being a good boy because I used to take herds of cattle to the best grazing areas while my age mates were pursuing their studies in the cities,” he explained.

This should not be extended to our children, he said adding that he only sneaked out of cattle camps when he showed interest in education in early 70s because most of age mates and friends where no longer in the villages in towns like Tonj, Juba, Rumbek , Khartoum and other cities pursuing either primary or secondary education, he adds.

“I do not want this happen to our children,” he said, calling on cattle keeping communities to ensure that children remain in school until completion of primary education and beyond if they have supports to continue with higher studies.

It is high time we learn from other communities who paid much attention to education before us, he said referring to Northern Sudan and the neighboring countries of Kenya and Uganda.

The official said South Sudan should start investing in competitive and valuable education in the region so that future children follow footsteps of post war generation.

The commissioner is reported to have continued with call to fight against illiteracy the same way Southern inhabitants fought during civil wars,

He cited teen pregnancies as another challenge hampering girl child education in rural areas.

However, he urged education authorities not to compromise with teachers who defile while pursuing education.

He also urged rural communities to contribute towards construction of secondary schools and that relevant State organs adding he would request state government to consider mobilizing legal measures against parents who refuse to take their children to school.

(ST)