France Total “lifts burden” of Bor Public school construction
By Philip Thon Aleu
January 12, 2010 (BOR) — Administration and residents of Hai Machuor
in Bor town where Bor Public Primary School is built told the Sudan
Tribune that they are relieved of a “burden” after France Total Oil Co.
erected permanent schools structures.
exploring company, Total, funds a number of projects including schools.
Implemented by Intersos Humanitarian Organization, the 12 months
project yielded two classroom blocks and four classrooms each by
November 29, 2009 as the only permanent learning structures in Hai
Machuor, Bor Town.
Also in a show of progress, diplomats visiting state
capital Bor are occasional led to see these blocks at Bor Public
Primary School.
2009 enrollment for this school reached 1, 470 children, according to
records provided to the Sudan Tribune by Gabriel Panchol Anyang, the
head teacher. While there are 10 teachers paid by the government.
Another 11 teachers work voluntarily and thus reduce the teacher-pupil
ratio to about 1:73.
“This number [of teachers] is too low,” said Panchol adding “we talk
to the government but they say ‘there is no budget’.”
Started as a private nursery school in 2006, Bor Public Primary became
community-owned in 2007, the head teacher, who is also a founder, says
adding that “I never had enough funds.” The state government then
registered it in 2009 – few months after securing construction project
from Intersos Humanitarian Organization with funding from Total.
As the custom with government supported schools here, there is no
authorized tuition fee. However, Nursery pupils pay registration fee
“to motivate their voluntary teacher,” the school administrator says.
Like other community and state government schools in Jonglei, classrooms were made of mud and grass-thatched. In some cases,
children leant under trees. The collapsing temporary structures,
however, now serves as classroom for nursery school children. But the
construction of eight classrooms is tremendous achievement, the head
teacher observed.
“Total [Oil Company] has done a great job,” Panchol says while
standing besides the school’s sign post. “The burden is lifted from
the community. We appreciate it,” he added.
The school is on vacation, but children from nearby families who also
learn here spend day time here playing football. A primary pupil
identified as John says “that class is nice, window does disturb
during lesson” in response to whether learning has improved since
construction was complete. A woman fetching from the school hand pump
borehole told the Sudan Tribune that she feel relieved when she see
her child attending lessons in “a better building”.
Total Oil Company is resuming exploration activities in Jonglei after
halting its activities in 1983 following the outbreak of civil war.
Pending security certainty in the restive state and arrangements with
Southern Sudan government, Total Investment in Block B that covers
large part of Jonglei state is viewed by local people as a way to
change poor health, education and transport facilities.
(ST)
Wende Yongaptheeth
France Total “lift burden” of Bor Public school construction
That is much better.
thieleling
France Total “lift burden” of Bor Public school construction
The Total Corruption and Total Oil Company in Bortown?
Great part of community support corruption programs in Jonglei:- By Philip Thon Aleu!!
Time Peter
France Total “lifts burden” of Bor Public school construction
Great job well done Total,but all we want this time is to have fair distribution of goods in all the counties that comprised the Jonglei State.we are happy off course to see this stage of building.
Developmment in one county or two would actually bear less value,because no connection between the counties within jonglei therefore,we need more school to be build by this company to prove that there is justice and fair distribution of goods within the entire State.
Hopefully you will understand my corncern and not be mistaken with such chronic hatred that will take us nowhere.
Happy New Year to All
Time Peter
Jur Tier
France Total “lifts burden” of Bor Public school construction
I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the government and the people of France for the funding of the school. I would also like to deliver my unconditional thanks to the entire administration of the Bor Public School,the headteacher, teacers and the members of the bor community within and abroad for their encouraging hard work they demonsrated towards developing the forgotten part of the world. During my recent visit to south sudan since 1998, I was shock to see the children having grown wild without the basic education. The situation in Southern Sudan currently, in terms of basic education, is a big loss to the nation’s future should those who call themselves the borne leaders of the South Sudan as a nation fail to focus and invest into the educational projects.
I remember how I was so desparate of education, 15 years ago, just like those kids are currently and how I felt about the lack of access to early education. I had no one to blame by then because the now leaders of the GoSS were in the frontline. It was therefore, a situation of no blame as one could use his/her common senses to understand what was happening. And from my memories of early schooling back in 1989 learning starts right under any tree anywhere so long as you really need to learn. That means it does not matter what is available and what is not in order for learning to take place but how determine the kids are themselves and the community they originated from. I am not encouraging the the way the government of Southern Sudan is handling the basic educational sector in Southern Sudan but rather assuring the willingness of the Bor community not to loss hope should things turn out in a way never expected as currently witnessed by them.
My message to the Bor community in particular and the entire Southern Sudanese is to stop reliance on any help from the government. Instead, initiate any help you could think of and then lay out a plan on how to and where that help should come from. Remember also that not all governments that initiates everything to the people and the community but it is the community itself which initiated anything that leads to the development. On the other hand the government, on seeing the community determined and committed to initiate its develpomental project, would then get involve and then funded what the community needs to do.
For those teachers who have offered themselves to teach in the name of the Bor commuinty and for the sake of building up your people, you are what I will describe as the ‘real men of the people’ as you voluntered yourselves to serve the community. You are like my early teachers who taught me how to read and write the English first four letters, A, B, C $ D back in 1989 in Kolnyang Primary School. The war interupted it untill 7 years later when I re-visited my counting of those letters in Cuei-magoon, just 30 kilometres away from Bor-town. Among my early teachers was Michael West, as nick-named( 1989-1990) and Kuoldit( 1996-1997), all of whom the knowledge they gave their students including myselves did mean something even today. And that is probably where I learned that it does not matter what is available and what is not. It is just a matter of hope, courage and determination which eventually paves way into success. Just leave outside help and turn to yourselves on how to build up your community in terms of health and education.
The only fear among the young of today in South sudan is the insecurity which interupts studies and that is where the government need to do something about it. Otherwise, best wish to all Southerners who would like such a development done at their residentials but could not see it done due to lack of funds.