Western Equatoria state education and health ministries have launched a joint campaign to put education and health as the top priorities for the year 2012.
Teachers and students from various nursery, primary and secondary schools marched to Yambio’s Freedom Square to launch the event, Anisa FM reported.State minister for education Phillip Pia said it is the responsibility of the government authorities, parents and communities to protect the children and send them to school.
He added that it was important to improve schools especially in villages far away from the centre.
He explained that early marriages, pregnancy, few schools centred in urban areas, no boys’ boarding school, unqualified teachers for sciences, and low salaries for teachers were among the biggest challenges to education in Western Equatoria.
National minister for housing Jemma Nunu Kumba urged the Government to punish those impregnating underage school girls and parents who give out daughters for early marriage as source of revenue.
State Governor Bangasi Joseph Bakosoro ordered to beat the Zande messages drum known as “gugu” calling everybody to go to school and improve health through hygiene and prevention.
He showed a drafted law that has to be passed in the assembly to guide girl’s education in the state.
Mr Bakosoro urged parents to enrol their children in the various schools in South Sudan rather than sending them to East Africa which is very expensive.
Education director general Michael Gelon said health education is necessary to inform the general public how to prevent deadly diseases like HIV AIDS and malaria.