By Adia Jildo
International partners are biding to improve the learning environment in the country. On Tuesday, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) through the Turkish Embassy in Juba and the Rwandan contingency, through the State Ministry of Education donated 90 desks, and modified the playground of Kapuri Nursery and Primary School. The aim is to aid pupils’ learning through a modern facility.
The school was renovated, a water supply system planted and a playground for the children improved.
Eunice Gordon Wani, the Head Teacher of Kapuri Nursery and Primary School said the provision of the school desks was a milestone in the development of the school as other children studied under the tree and on the floor.
“These classes are not enough. Some children sit under the tree and still are not enough. Others run away from classes if lessons are taken under the tree,” she said.
Eunice stated that besides inadequate desks for pupils, challenges such as delay in salary payment for teachers and long distance for the pupils is another factor affecting the learning system of the community.
“There is no salary for about 7 months now. These teachers walk long distances to come and teach. Others come from Juba town, Hai Tijaria and using public means and at times the teachers end up coming twice or thrice a week,” she lamented.
She called on the Ministry of Education to take into hands the salary issues by solving the problem for the benefit and the future of children.
Eunice said that some parents are hesitant to pay their children’s school fees which hinder children’s learning.
While the Director of NESO International college school Simon Machuar said lack of secondary schools has affected most who are supposed to attend a secondary level education.
He added that students make efforts to move far to attend secondary learning and therefore the need to plan to have secondary classes in the afternoon at Kapuri primary school facility when the schools resume operation.
“A secondary school will be opened in the same school in the afternoon to assist those who live in Kapuri to access secondary level education too.” Simon said.
“We agreed that we are going to open a school in the afternoon. It will be an affordable fee of 15,000 SSP per term,” he added.
The TIKA representative Cafer B. Besli said the project that was directed to the Ministry of Education was to invest in and develop the future of South Sudan.
“As the number of pupils has increased this year, these 90 desks as well as the established playground for the children will contribute to the education efforts in the country,” he said.
“Education is a very important field. It’s the future of the country,” Cafer added.
The Turkish ambassador Erdem Mustaf said the investment in the field of education is a priority.
“We are modifying the playground for the children to play in school for them to enjoy leisure during the school period,” he said.
He promised to renovate and upgrade the nursery school next year in June 2023.
The state Minister of Education Cirisio Zakaria Lado promised to support the investors who come with the aim of investing in the country’s education sector.
“The state government will stand strong with a person who supports the education sector. We will facilitate all your projects. The Ministry of Education will look forward to supporting more children,” he said.