Schools reopen in Jonglei’s Duk county

April 19, 2015 (BOR) – Hundreds of pupils have resumed their studies in Jonglei state’s Ayueldit and Poktap villages, a year after the country’s rebellion forced them out of school.

The reopening of schools was announced by the Duk county education department in March, as parents were urged to comply.

Paul Deng, the head teacher of Poktap primary school, said they had managed to register up to 996 pupils from primary one up to six.

“We started in March with a small population of about 1,000 pupils; today we have more than 1,300 pupils. And we are receiving more children on daily basis,” Deng told Sudan Tribune on Sunday.

“The unwanted schools vacation imposed by the crisis was long and devastating; many children never accessed education for 15 months. A lot others missed their exams that could have earned them promotion to secondary schools,” he added.

According to Deng, the armed rebellion in Duk county resulted into many educational facilities and infrastructures either destroyed or looted by the armed opposition forces.

“Duk now uses texts books and other learning materials supplied to them by Twic East County education office,” he said, adding that the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and Church & Development also pledged to support schools with sanitary kits.

The rebels completely destroyed 18 of the 20 primary schools in Duk county last year.

(ST)