By Gladys Fred Kole
It is a collective responsibility to take a child to school, to eliminate the growing number of street children, Windle Trust International posed.
Launching “Back-to-Learning” campaign, yesterday at Atlabara West Primary school, Windle Trust International, tasked citizens to care for disadvantaged children in the country.
The back to learning project, aims at supporting 85 primary schools and 75,000 learners in Aweil, Juba, Torit and Yambio counties.
Mr. Yakani Stephen the Windle trust international Education Advisor stressed that in the country’s context, the new data shows that 2.8 million children are out of school, more than the previous figures.
He said that this will affect the country greatly, that’s why there are so many issues attributed to the low number of children in schools.
“It should be our commitment as parents, school, government to make sure that those ones in the school don’t go out again we need to maintain them in the school to add on the 2.8 million. it is very dangerous.” Yakani
Yakani cited that, the vision of the country is focusing on seeing an informed and transformed society so what is the implication when 2.8 million are out of school what society are we looking for.
“It’s not easy for us to get that society without education, The aspect of education in promoting peaceful society is actually the centre.” He stated.
“In the context of South Sudan conflict is everywhere even in families what brings all this is lack of education that’s why we have issues everywhere. Education should be able to change lives, we don’t want our students to go out and cause problems.” he advised.
He however, encouraged learners to desist from associating with groups that will pull them away from education urging them to continue with their studies.
Although the government has recreated a commitment that education is going to be free, Yakani told parents to make a small additional pay for a child to go to school as there’s education without pain.
“The pain is you have to get something from the pocket to give the child most parents fear that pain that they can’t get the benefit of the child, they want something they can benefit now, they see that when the pay the child up to university they will die before getting the benefit. It is our responsibility as parents to prepare and make sure the child goes to school,” he emphasized.
For his part Mr. Peter Lado Tombe, Deputy Director General, Quality Assurance and standards in the state ministry of general education CES said that for the country to be able to eradicate illiteracy there needed to bring the children out of school to school.
He urged people and kids who are already in school, to take part in bringing children to school until the streets become empty of derelicts.
“Everyone is having a responsibility to bring the children out of school to school such that we become free of niggers on the streets.” Lado
Further he advised the pupils and adults to develop the habit, interest, love for learning citing that the country needs successful live long learners not people who graduate and do away with the books.
“We are a country, and you will not know what direction the country is taking; you won’t know what the country wants its citizens to be unless you find this in education.” Lado
Meanwhile Mr. Abdulbagi Abdulaziz the Parents Teachers Association Chairperson of Juba City Council reiterated that their responsibility is to oversee the children who are already brough to school by their parents.
He decried to the partners and government to extend a helping hand in bringing the school going age children on the streets to school citing that these children are the future of these country.
“The ones that the parents have brought to us we are looking after them now, what about the ones on the streets lets join hands and bring the street children to school we don’t know what will happen tomorrow,” Abdulaziz calls for attention.
In a twist the PTA chairperson told the parents who are complaining of the little money the schools demand to run expenses in the names of supposed free education to consider the little contribution to run expenses in the schools.
“The president said free education that’s true because the little money you’re paying is remaining in the school for running the school expenses these money doesn’t go the government. The teachers are going to 7 months without pay the schools are running with the help of the PTA out of the little you contribute.” Abdulaziz
However, Ms. Meling Christine Lemi said that out of the numbers of the out of school reported data 53 percent are girls as these is a worrying state.
The UNICEF south Sudan’s Education officer Meling encourage PTA and community engagement to make parents understand that school is not for the government or partners.
“It belongs to the community, parents of the children and not to any institution government only supports this are your children.” Meling expressed.
She affirmed that; UNICEF will continue advocating for education in the country.
“We would advocate through other donors internationally including the ministry of education to ensure that those schools are renovated, and children are enrolled in those schools and children continue going to school.” Meling