Jonglei launches campaign to get children back into school
February 27, 2015 (BOR) – More than 400,000 children are not accessing education in Jonglei state either due to the country’s ongoing crisis or tribal violence.
All primary and secondary schools in Jonglei have now been officially declared open.
Manyuon said the ministry had a number of promising education programs planned in the 2015/2016 academic year, which Manyuon hopes will help address some of these issues.
He said good education outcomes could not be achieved in South Sudan without collective responsibility.
Hana Abel, the managing director of aid agency INTERSOS, said girls education must also be given priority.
“It is very important that girls are going back to school. This is the message that I am begging [for] on behalf of all the NGOs supporting education here in Jonglei state,” she said during Friday’s launching ceremony in Bor.
UNICEF representative Joseph Lia who represented UNICEF said girls education had long been neglected across the country.
“We are talking of 35% which is the net enrollment for girls only. For secondary school, it is only 2% for girls across South Sudan,” he said.
Lia attributed the low turnout to uncondusive learning environments in the country, which he said must be addressed if the current trend is to be reversed.
“How are we going to create a safe and protective learning environment for these children as we are advocating for them to get back to school?” he said.
Meanwhile, Jonglei’s deputy governor, Baba Medan, urged aid organisations to work with the ministry to help improve the education sector.
“I am calling upon all the organisations supporting education and other activities, please come to Jonglei state,” said Medan.
Some 500,000 children are said to be currently out of school in Jonglei, while nationwide about 1.8 million children are missing out on their education.
(ST)