By Bida Elly David
National Minister of General Education and Instructions drives to improve education sector through construction of more public schools in the country.
Awut Deng Acuil disclosed her plan on Tuesday during her visit to Northern Bahr-Al-Ghazal State on the mission to assess education projects in the region.
According to a report by UNICEF last year, more than 2.8 million children, or over 70%, are out of school in South Sudan, putting their future and the country at risk.
The report stated that some of education affected children live in pastoral communities moving with their cattle without attending to classes.
Last year, during the education conference, the minister, in her remarks, highlighted the need for education transformation, ensuring access to education for all children across the country.
In her past visit to Malakal, Awut stressed that it is crucial to ensure the improvement of the low literacy rate in the country despite the hardships faced.
In a statement from the Northern Bahr el Ghazal State governor’s office, minister Awut urged parents to prioritize education for their kids, saying educating a child is a preparation for national development.
“The minister urged parents to take their children to school to eradicate the illiteracy rate in the country,’’ the statement noted.
She appreciated Governor Tong Akeen Ngor for having prioritized the education of children in the state and urging other states to do the same.
Awut also added that she will continue assessing the ongoing education projects in South Sudan as part of the implementation of the resolution of last year’s education conference.
She underscored that improving road infrastructure to enable children to walk to school becomes one of her plans to address.
Minister Awut emphasized that the government uses education to change the lives of the children and youth of South Sudan and transform the country.
Governor Tong Akeen appreciated the minister for visiting his state and demonstrating a commitment to improving learning in his state.
The minister was received by the governor alongside state ministers, senior SPLM members, and staff from the State Ministry of Education.
According to 2022 research carried out by the Global Education Agency, South Sudan ranks as the third-lowest country in the world in terms of literacy rate, with a 34.54% benchmark, after Chad with 22.31% and Guinea with a 32.0% benchmark.
According to the report, the South Sudan literacy rate is dominated by adults aged 27–30, which means much emphasis needs to be put on young people.