Education development partners in South Sudan have exposed some demoralizing challenges in access to education and quality of teaching including lack of qualified teachers due to remuneration issues where a security guard or driver can earn more than a teacher.
In a statement Save the Children says qualified teachers are taking up security employment or leaving the teaching profession to pursue other opportunities.
The statement adds that the new academic year 2015 has resumed, but many children may not be attending classes; citing 400 thousand children forced out of school due to conflict.
Save the Children South Sudan Director Peter Walsh says the need to get all children to school this year is paramount and that it needs to be treated with utmost urgency.
He urges children and families to continue prioritising education even in the crisis.
South Sudan government and UNICEF are supporting ‘Back to Learning’ campaign targeting 500 thousand children and 5,500 teachers, volunteers and PTA members going back to school.