Sudanese school curricula to be translated into English

KHARTOUM, Dec 9, 2004 (Al-Khartoum) — The curriculum department at the Ministry of Education and Guidance will begin translating the school curricula into English language in preparation for the post-peace period. A higher committee consisting of education experts has already been formed to carry out the task.

A Sudanese girl listens to her teacher as she attends a class along with over 150 other girls at Rumbek primary school in Southern Sudan April 19, 2004.

In press conference yesterday, the minister of education and guidance Ahmad Babikir Nahar stressed that a joint committee comprising education experts from the government, in coordination with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), had agreed that the school curricula in southern Sudan be in both Arabic and English as soon as a comprehensive peace deal is signed.

However, Nahar said there is a disagreement on how to teach Christian religious education although it is not a big issue and it can be resolved. The minister added that church leaders are currently supervising the Christian religion being taught in schools.

The minister ruled out the possibility of changing the education curricula at this time if a peace agreement is signed.

Nahar admitted that there is laxity in school supervision pointing out that some teachers exceed their bounds and expel pupils for failing to pay tuition fees, and reiterated his warning to teachers not to expel pupil who default in payments

Material from the BBC Monitoring Service