Education and its Misconception in the Republic of South Sudan
By Ustaz Mabior Rioc Manyang, Juba, South Sudan
November 25, 2015 (SSB) — Education is a wider concept with no single standard definition agreed upon by the scholars and academics. Plato defines education as a process of drawing and guiding children towards the principle which is pronounced right by law and confirmed as a truly right by the experience of the oldest and the most just. In other words, education in its general sense is a form of learning in which the knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, positive attitudes and habits of a group of people are transferred from one generation to the next through teaching, training, or research.
However, the most agreed definition of education is that, it is a process of transfer, consumption; accumulation and adoption of skills, knowledge ability and change of attitudes among the individuals or between groups of people. It is both a conscious and unconscious process that aims at creating desirable changes in both individuals and the society in which the inhabitants interact. Education may also include informal transmission of such information from one human being to another. Any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts may be considered educational.
A right to education has been recognized by some governments and states at the global level. Article 13 of the United Nations’ 1966 International covenant on Economic, social and cultural Rights recognizes the right of everyone to an education. Although education is compulsory in most Countries up to a certain age, there is still ignorance of the values and the importance of education in The Republic of South Sudan as a young Nation. Many children of school-going age have remained illiterate and sometimes kept at home to look after the domestic animals that our people considered more important than education. South Sudan as a country has lagged far behind in the education sector. This is because our people at the grass roots are not enlightened about the importance of the education to their children in particular and the nation as a whole.
In 2011 report, it is estimated that more than eighty percent (80%) of the South Sudanese population cannot read or write. Illiteracy rates are high in the country and are still continuing in the alarming rate. The challenges are particularly severe for female children. South Sudan has proportionately fewer girls going to school than any other country in the world. According to UNICEF, less than one percent (1%) of girls complete primary education hence, female illiteracy is the highest in the world. Education should be a priority for the South Sudanese and that the government should double efforts to improve its education system.
The current education policy should be reviewed to see whether it is answering the problems of the public it is made for. Both internal and external efficiency should be assessed and evaluated whether it is going on the right track in satisfying the public needs. Its relevancy, equity, and quality of the education services should be looked into to see whether it is desired, afforded by the public and just to them. To me, I am aware that the education policy has already been debated, adopted and passed by the legally empowered people (Government) but its implementation has been done partially or not been done at all by the policy agents who are authorized by the government to implement the policies.
Through this way, we must develop an integrated education policy and system that includes comprehensive approaches that directly involve families and communities as well as government in which all the opinions of the stakeholders are accommodated. This will ensure that the program design, policy implementation, and evaluation of its outcome is easily identified and correct diagnosis of the problem is likely to be adopted. I am convinced that a nation which is educated and secured always enjoys maximum stability and relative peace. Education changes peoples’ attitudes, behaviors, morals and thoughts which help in bringing peace and co-existence among the communities of different states.
The south Sudanese communities have been at odds among themselves since time immemorial due to the fact that they are not educated and enlightened about the values of education. South Sudan is a country with visionary and committed leaders who are committed to render services to their people at any cost but they are sometimes thrown to the confusion by the illiterate individuals who do not know the importance of peace and stability. South Sudan will not be in peace in 20 years time to come until the time the importance and values of education touches the hearts and minds of every South Sudanese. Understanding what education is will probably, make people feel free and safe in their neighborhoods and in their residential areas and neighboring communities.
A quality of a teacher is the key component in the delivery of quality education services and programs. A professionally trained teacher knows what to teach, how to teach and when to teach. For the government officials to send their children to East African countries and abroad to have quality education will not help South Sudan at all. But taking teachers to study outside the country to acquire sound education and to share the experiences with their counterparts in the East African Countries and some places around the globe is the better choice. The current National Minister of Education, Science and Technology Dr.John Gai has tried his level best to make sure that education services are delivered to the learners. Since he took over the Ministry from the current rebel politician Dr.Adwok Nyaba, the public Universities have been operational and the first graduation of Juba University under the Independent Nation took place. This is what I must call an achievement by the government and to the nation. His only weakness is that his failure to admit those students who had sat Sudan School Certificate few years ago.
Better education for individuals contributes to a more just and equitable society. Missing out on the knowledge and skills of education or failing to develop these skills to the best of each person’s capability is not just a loss for the individual but a loss to the nation. It is also an enormous loss for all of us in our society. Education brings with it many social, economic and health benefits for the individual and society as a whole. Having energetic and educated young people who can apply their education knowledge and understanding helps in a growing range of economic, technical, scientific, social and other contexts that ensure employment and economic prosperity in the future.
We know too, that children who do not learn to read, write and communicate effectively are more likely to leave school early and in later life to be unemployed or employed in low skilled jobs, to have poorer emotional and physical health, to have limited earning power, and are more likely to be involved in the crimes of all sorts. These days, it has become clear that all students of the University going age have joined and still joining the organized forces which has now contributed to insecurity in the Country due to the present of many arms in the hands of the youths. They joined the organized forces not because they like but due to unemployment. However, building a strong nation is about educating the youths so that they know the importance and values of education to the nation and to themselves as well. Giving quality and relevant education to all the young people is fundamental to the life chances of each individual and essential to the quality and equity of south Sudanese communities.
Education has negatively affected the economy of the country in so many ways possible. For example, we know that children from socially and economically disadvantaged communities are significantly more likely to experience difficulties in literacy and numeracy for reasons associated with poverty, poorer health, and a wide range of other factors. Many of the underlying reasons for such failures are not found in the education system and some are not amenable to school-based basic literacy skills by the age of twelve years, but many will still be developing these skills. All children of this age will require well-thought-out teaching and purposeful learning experiences in the post-primary school to enable them to acquire the skills they have yet to grasp, to consolidate the skills they have already learned, and to equip them for work, further learning and leisure. Just as children develop literacy skills at different rates; their development of mathematical understanding also varies.
The teaching profession needs to ensure that the teaching of knowledge, values, skills and positive attitudes to the learners is very essential in many so that they master the essential ability to understand and use the acquired knowledge in their everyday life and in further learning. It is also important for us to remember that the development of good education standard and learning abilities is not just the responsibility of teachers and academics but a collective responsibility of every south Sudanese with the government taking the lead. Teachers have an important role to play in developing and consolidating students’ ability to use their profession to arouse interest of the students to learn and to behave responsibly throughout their learning process. Procedures between the various education providers should ensure that relevant information transfers at each juncture to facilitate continuity and progression for the child development and building of a prosperous and educated nation free from tribalism, illiteracy, corruption, nepotism and all sorts that are against development of the nation.
In every School setting, there must be welcoming and accessible places for parents and should make meaningful provision for the involvement of parents in the classroom and beyond in the activities that support the development of better and quality education services that are not discriminative in nature. All parents need to be aware of the relevance of education being offered to their children’s future and the influence that they have over their children’s educational development. Parents, grandparents, extended family and other members of the community need to know how in a practical manner they can work in partnership with staff and teachers in all the school setting to contribute to children’s learning of literacy and numeracy. The communities in which children and young people live and grow also have a major role to play in fostering and supporting education development throughout the Country. Where schools are connected with each other and forge strong links with the wider community. Harnessing the collective effort of the wider community and other agencies has the potential to bring greater coherence and an integrated approach to the national effort to improve learning experiences and outcomes in all learning institutions.
In many communities, projects have been developed and initiatives have been undertaken to link schools and communities more closely and to enable people in the community to support children’s learning and participation in school and education. Some of these projects and initiatives are supported through voluntary, charitable and state funding, and the projects have adopted a number of different approaches. For example, many effective schools in South Sudan are religious based or community funded institutions and that they have been performing well throughout the country. These schools include Don Bosco primary and secondary schools in Tonj south County, Warrap secondary school, Marial-Lou Primary School, Juba Diocesan Model Secondary School, John Paul Secondary in Wau, just to mention a few.
These schools and others have contributed positively in the development of education sector in the Country. Education development is a collective responsibility of every member of a society and the author encourages all south Sudanese from all works of life to take a collective fight against the widespread and persistent illiteracy in the country. This is because education is the only powerful and valid tool that we can use to change the current face of politics and economy in our country to a better and sustainable one.
The writer is a south Sudanese and a graduate with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education majoring in Geography and History as his teaching Subjects at St. Lawrence University, Kampala Uganda. He can be reached on mabiorrioc@yahoo.com
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