Importance of Girl-Child’s Education in South Sudan: “Contribution to International Girl Child Day”

By Garang Ayii Riak, Bor, South Sudan

Tuesday, October 11, 2022 (PW) — Education is the backbone of development. Whether we talk about personal growth or national development, everything is possible with education. It supports us in living a prosperous life. Education is the supreme basic need and one of the fundamental rights of all people. Many people restrict girls from achieving an education, but it is bad practice. Education is vital for every citizen of the country, both girls and boys, women and men. For numerous reasons, “Girl Child’s Education” is always a subject of concern for the country.

Girls’ education is the most crucial reason for a nation’s development, and female education is a part of the people that is rightly welcomed by the most developed countries in the world; that is why there is an abundant rate of girls’ education. The education of girls or females should be given prodigious importance in our education system because when you educate a woman, you have educated the nation.

Many people have discussed the benefits of girls’ education and how educated women change their families. If we see countries like India, the USA, the UK, Japan, and France, their progress and development depend on the level of their female education, and therefore, we also need to educate our girls now because they are the future of our nation.

Moreover, when girls and women become educated, they will not have to depend on others for their living. One of the most vital benefits of girl education is that the nation’s future will be brighter and better. Similarly, our economy can grow faster if more and more women become financially strong, thereby reducing poverty.

Furthermore, educated girls and women can take proper care of their children. This will help in the future as fewer kids will die due to a lack of vaccinations or for the same reason. Even women will be less likely to become patients with HIV/AIDS as they will be aware of the consequences.

Most importantly, educated women can lessen social issues such as corruption, betrothal, forced and early marriages, domestic abuse, physical assaults, sexual abuse, and being married to the dead. One form of polygamous marriage in some communities in South Sudan requires girls not to indulge in child labour, which means girls do not get time to study. 

Also, girls will become more confident and manage their families better when educated; thus, we see how one educated woman can bring more positive changes in her life and others, as well as child compensation.

Likewise, our economy can grow faster if more girls and women become financially strong, reducing poverty. Additionally, educated girls and women can take proper care of their children if we look at the statistics of India, China, the UK, and the USA, one of the most populated countries.

This article aims to educate more girls and women in South Sudan to improve our economy and to live in our families.

Causes Causing Low Rate of Girl Education

Many causes make it impossible for girls to get an education in our nation. Firstly, the rampant poverty rate is too distressing. Even though education is said to be compulsory and accessible in the General Education Act 2012, it still involves a substantial cost to send girls to school. Cultural practices and lack of female education policies and implementation are the main critical issues causing low rates of girls and women’s enrolment in schools.

Therefore, families struggling to meet all the schools’ demands for their schools should be supported by the government and education partners dealing in the education sector so that more girls and women are enrolled in the schools.

Secondly, in many villages where there aren’t many schools, many girls are out of school, which creates a distance problem as they are located far from the towns. In some areas, students must walk for three to four hours to reach their school.

This makes parents want their children to go to school because they see that the security of their children is in danger, so parents don’t think it is wise to send them to faraway schools.

Furthermore, the regressive thinking of people makes it more challenging for girls to get an education. Some still believe girls are meant to stay in their houses and look after the kitchen. They do not like women to do any other tasks except household ones.

Other than that, social issues like child marriage and labour also stop girls from getting an education. Parents pull daughters out of school to marry them off early. Also, girls do not get time to study when they indulge in child labour.

Conclusion

Educating girls saves lives and builds stronger families, communities, and economies; it is essential to create a well-developed society. They have the same rights as we have. An educated female population increases a country’s productivity and fuels economic growth.

No matter where she lives or her circumstances, every girl has a right to learn. No matter who they are or the resources available, every leader must fulfil and protect this right. To move on, there is no doubt that girls are the future mothers of our society.

Every girl who gets a proper education will likely make education a priority for her children. Hence, a child’s whole future depends on the education she receives at an early age. An educated woman raises an academic family, and an educated family contributes to the betterment of society.

Conclusively, we all know very well that the first institute of every child is her mother, but an illiterate woman will not be able to teach manners and ethics to her children. An educated mother stays more attentive towards her children than an uneducated woman.

Education is very vital for the development of a nation. If we look at the history of the entire world, then only those countries that succeeded in educating their girls and women, boys, and men equally.

We cannot hope to become a developed nation without educating our girls and women. Therefore, we must promote inclusive education for girls and boys, women, and men, including people with disabilities, at all levels of our educational system in South Sudan.

The author, John Garang Ayii Riak, is an Educationist who holds a Master of Education in Comparative Education from Zhejiang Normal University, China, and is also pursuing a Master of Education in Emergency at the University of Juba, South Sudan. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Bugema University, Kampala, Uganda, and a Certificate in Emergency and Child and Gender Protection. He works as an Inclusive Education Specialist for Windle Trust International, Juba, South Sudan. He can be reached at (johngayii2014@gmail.com).

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