Over 1 Million Textbooks Distributed to Schools in South Sudan

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The first of over 1.12 million textbooks was handed to school leaders in Juba today as part of a massive program aimed at ensuring out-of-school children are able to learn in South Sudan. The textbooks will play a vital role in the teaching and learning process that gives every child the best possible opportunities for education in South Sudan.

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The programme, led by Save the Children in partnership with the Norwegian Refugee Council, Finn Church Aid, and the Ministry of General Education and Instruction (MoGEI) is funded by Education Cannot Wait (ECW).

The programme is one of the most wide-reaching education resourcing initiatives in South Sudan. More than 1.5 million children – including 1,449,219 primary school pupils and 109,854 secondary school students – in 3,391 primary and 401 secondary schools in the six states of Eastern Equatoria, Lakes, Jonglei, Upper Nile, Unity and Warrap will benefit from the books.

“Many children are not learning in South Sudan and one of the factors is that both learners and teachers do not have access to adequate reference materials, guides or textbooks that they need to effectively facilitate quality teaching and learning,” said Rama Hansraj, the Country Director of Save the Children in South Sudan. “We believe that these 1.12 million textbooks will reduce the high pupil- textbook ratio thereby allowing more children to get access to textbooks. Thus, putting books in the hands of learners. These textbooks have come in handy at a time when social distancing is a key requirement to controlling the spread of COVID-19. This means that with more books, we are able to reduce the number of children that come together to share a book.”

The textbooks ratio is expected to be reduced to 1:1 for secondary and primary learners in the targeted six states across South Sudan.

Globally, Save the Children and partners work to ensure that every child receives a good quality education and gains the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in the 21st century. Save the Children is committed to coordinating and working with all development partners to ensure that all children have access to safe, inclusive, and quality learning opportunities they need to realize their full potential.

ECW’s US$20 million catalytic grant in South Sudan set in motion a multi-year educational response programme for two years in the country. The programme provides access to pre-primary education, boosts gender equity, prevents early dropouts, and supports children and youth in accessing the psychosocial support they need to recover and rebuild from trauma, conflict and displacement in South Sudan.

Highlights

• 1.12 million textbooks distributed in Juba, set to reach 3,792 primary and schools across South Sudan
• Programme is in response to the 2.2 million children still missing out on education.
• 1 in 3 schools have been damaged, destroyed, occupied or closed due to conflict, weather events, and COVID-19 in South Sudan.
• Only 3.5% of girls enrolled in secondary schools, primary school completion rate is the lowest in the world, at less than 10%