By Ustaz Mark bang
As the system of education needs clearances, scrutiny, recoveries, and immediate change so that our young generation becomes one of the best-fit manpower for future roles, since South Sudan has become an independent state, there has never been a system for setting up well-standardized curricula or a system for the workforce.
Here, I mean, well-trained teaching staff is not to the standard required by the system of education; professors from various universities were not included or considered in curriculum development; experts from different professions were not even included.
Standard education must involve indigenous people’s culture, include environmental factors, and include people’s linguistic, social, and cultural backgrounds in all communities. There had been a good system to follow in the South Sudanese educational system, a system that is ten thousand times worse than the system that has been set in place; leaking of examinations would create enmity between teachers and learners.
No sooner than later, professional teachers would never accept going to classes where learners might ignore them, hoping to get examinations on WhatsApp and Messenger. I am not making it up, but it’s very clear that this thing would very soon happen, and if this happened, learners would never even attend their normal classes as usual because exams are frequently obtained from websites, and this is so painful.
I was just surprised by two primary pupils with whom I got to converse about this examination. They confidently focused on the strategies for passing the examination in South Sudan; they said, ‘’If one needs to succeed in life, buy a smartphone and open Facebook and WhatsApp; there you will pass the exam’’ The generation we are misleading will take over all of the duties we are currently doing. Why do we do things that seem to destroy our communities—the communities we believe to be where we all come from and the communities, we all know that help in restructuring our activities and government?
Where has education gone? Kenyan education was very great to us during those days, days when conflict-affected areas were under missionaries and when those who were in the field of teaching were not qualified at all. Those who taught almost 50% of intellectuals were not qualified, and this percentage is currently doing the greatest job in the labour market. Not only had it been quite amazing that the population that had never been website activists were following their classes regularly and were also respectful in their schools and even social gatherings, not to mention places where students cheat their biological parents but could term this as everywhere and situation make it as I am putting it here in my writing but would term this as everywhere and situation continues. This makes it very clear that this nation will soon be bleeding and that it will take us a long time to restore it to its expectations. Any leader who wants to make a change has to be at a particular time because this nation needs immediate change—a change that does not look at the past but a change that looks into solutions, a solution that makes an inclusive state, a change that wants everyone to participate with one voice and put our hands together as sons and daughters of this nation. Therefore, unity would make it better for everyone to be called a patriotic citizen; nobody wants to suffer anymore, and nobody likes the state of being in disunity. Every system must have steps; it must also dictate to those who seem to be against it, and every system must create a strong base that never gives room for alterations and must be that kind of system that betrays and subjects its enemies to justice.
What needs to be done in our educational system?
If the nation’s eyes and ears are open, then let me whisper this to its ears, so as soon as it’s heard, my people need to sweep off those wrong elements that are either in the national or state ministry for general education and instruction. This need is my immediate concern if the minister for education must be appointed from the field of education. I mean a person who is professional, the one who has a licensed higher education, particularly the one whose educational credentials qualify him/her for the position.
Mr. President, we have been arguing in other fields of our profession, but our immediate concern is education. The level of education has diminished since the conflict started. Now I would want to ask my government and people: how many officials are believed to have had chances of leading any ministry that was not in line with their profession? I think none, and if this question looks ridiculous and painful, please accept my apology whatsoever. The national government has to be close to its people through the local authorities, youths, and organizations because they will get the right data from these organizations.
The writer of this article is a human rights activist and professional teacher.