By Kidega Livingstone
A lawmaker in the National Parliament has raised concerns that more boys continue to drop out of school compared to girls.
Speaking during the International Menstrual Hygiene Day Celebrations on Tuesday, a Member of the Standing Committee for Gender, Child, and Social Welfare, Nyayang Johnson Lok, said the streets of Juba and other major towns in the states are full of boys who are not going to school.
She said the government and development partners should work together to address the rampant dropout of boys from school.
“Boys are dropping out of school anyhow; the numbers of boys in the streets of Juba alone are too huge. Girls are now going to school, and they are performing well compared to boys,” she said.
Last year, in November 2023, the Deputy Minister of Education and Instruction, Martin Lako, admitted that the institution has recorded an increasing number of school dropouts, from 2.2 to 2.8 over the last three years.
He said the increasing dropout of children from school is a result of flash flooding, conflict in some areas, and food insecurity in most parts of the country.
According to UNICEF, more than 2.8 million children, or over 70 per cent, are out of school in South Sudan, putting at risk their futures and the future of the country.
Some of the out-of-school children are living in pastoral communities, moving with their cattle, and are unable to attend regular classes.
The largest group of out-of-school children in South Sudan are girls. Poverty, child marriage, and cultural and religious views all hinder girls’ education.
The UNICEF Agency reveals that a child born to an educated mother has a 50 per cent higher chance of survival. The risk of child marriage and early pregnancy is lower if girls stay in school. Educated parents are more likely to send their children to school.