By Otto Abut |CRN| Monday, April 25, 2025
The recent three-week heatwave-induced school closure has led to a concerning drop in the enrollment of girls in schools across Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria.
Local education authorities report a surge in early marriages and teenage pregnancies during the break, significantly affecting the return of female students, particularly in upper primary and secondary school levels.
In March, schools countrywide were temporarily shut due to extreme heat, with temperatures soaring between 41°C and 45°C. The closure not only disrupted syllabus coverage but also heightened the risk of school dropouts, especially among girls aged 17 to 19.
Musa Omar Muhamed Kiduri, the Deputy Director of Education in Magwi County, confirmed that assessments conducted during the break revealed a sharp decline in enrollment, particularly among adolescent girls.
“Many girls aged between 17 and 19 have either become pregnant or dropped out due to early marriages,” Kiduri stated. He added that the department plans to work closely with Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), School Management Committees (SMCs), and Boards of Governors (BoGs) to support the reintegration of affected girls.
Among the affected is 27-year-old Amito Helen, a student at Greenland Secondary School, who had only recently returned to school after dropping out during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
“It’s very unfortunate that I’m dropping out for the second time due to pregnancy. My husband, whom I met during the Corona break, encouraged me to go back to school. But during this recent heatwave break, I got pregnant again. I feel too shy to return,” Helen shared.
An unknown number of girls became pregnant during the school closure and now hope to return after childbirth.
Despite the challenges, the Director of Education in Magwi County, Achiro Grace, stated that the 2025 academic calendar remains unchanged. She proposed remedial measures, including extra lessons and weekend classes, especially for candidate classes, to make up for the lost time before the term ends on May 10.
She urged head teachers and Payam education supervisors to develop urgent strategies to accelerate syllabus coverage.
“Teachers and education officials must collaborate to ensure the syllabus is fully covered,” Grace said. “Primary Eight and Senior Four students are the most affected and require immediate attention.” She further recommended extending school hours from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with additional evening sessions for candidates.
The heatwave that triggered the school closures marked the second climate-induced shutdown in recent years. The Deputy Minister of Education, Martin Tako Moi, revealed that, at the height of the heatwave, an average of 12 students were collapsing daily in Juba due to heat exhaustion.
Meanwhile, Environment Minister Josephine Napwon Cosmos urged residents to stay indoors and stay hydrated as the heatwave intensified.
Considering these recurring climate challenges, the Ministry of General Education is considering changes to the academic calendar, including possibly shifting the start of the school year to April instead of February.
This proposal is part of a broader strategy to adapt the education system to the realities of climate change, which continues to bring heatwaves and flooding across South Sudan.
This story was produced with support from Journalists for Human Rights under the ‘Tackling Mis/Disinformation Project,’ funded by the Peace and Stabilization Program of the Government of Canada.