South Sudan ends free university education
Photo|AFP A Southern Sudanese boy waits at Khartoum’s International airport on June 6, 2012 to return to the new state of South Sudan. Higher Education minister Peter AdwokNyaba has said accommodation and tuition fees for the increasing number of students has became unaffordable.
Posted Sunday, June 10 2012
JUBA, Sunday
South Sudan has announced a decision to end free university education that the government has been providing for the last six years.
The measure was dictated by the economic hardships the country is going through; having shut down oil production in January due to transit fee dispute with the north but without any significant source of alternative revenues.
Before the shutdown, South Sudan relied 98 per cent on cash from oil to meet its budgetary obligations.
As the austerity measures that have seen the ministry’s budget scaled down by 46 per cent start to bite, Higher Education minister Peter AdwokNyaba said accommodation and tuition fees for the increasing number of students became unaffordable.
“The situation is getting difficult, and with the austerity measures, things are getting a bit rough,” said Dr Adwok.
“As of the next admission, it has to be very clear to students and their parents that they will have to pay fees, accommodation and feeding’’.
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