These incidents cumulatively affected more than 90,000 children. [Photo: Radio Tamazuj, South Sudan launches school reopening across the country. ", This was the message delivered to the government and armed groups by school children during the official launch of the 'Safe School Declaration' guideline in Juba on Monday 25, 2021. This comes on top of the 2.2 million children out of school before the pandemic hit South Sudan. Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace. Wendy, a 16-year-old student who completed the recent Senior 4 exams in Juba. Lawrence Mathew (15), a senior three student says also he has been struggling; "We have been out of school and idle at home for over a year, sometimes we revise our past lessons, but we are losing hope that our classes will reopen.". South Sudans Information minister Michael Makuei told The East African that the decision had been arrived at after a comprehensive study by the National Taskforce on Covid-19. What you need to know about the new 2023 SDG 4 Scorecard, Mr. Mohamed Ag Ayoya, UNICEF Representative in South Sudan, Mr. Julius Banda, UNESCO Representative in South Sudan, Office of International Standards and Legal Affairs. Why Would A Black Family Get An Aquarium Membership? Essential health services are provided in former UN Protection of Civilian sites, host communities as well as remote and hard-to-reach locations serviced by the IOMs mobile rapid response teams. The pandemic has left the most vulnerable and marginalized even further off track when it comes to access to quality education. UNICEF country representative in South Sudan, Dr. Hamida Lasseko, also speaking at the same event reiterated UNICEFs commitment to continue supporting the education sector in South Sudan. Schools protect learners from harmful cultural practices and work as an access point for services including water, sanitation and hygiene and food. Radio classes allowed thousands of children in South Sudan to keep learning, but many more have no access to distant learning. It was also attended by the Undersecretary in the Ministry of Defense, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, students and representatives of the UN agencies, among others. Scientific evidence shows children are not super spreaders of COVID-19 and are the least affected by it in the region, with a mere 2.5 per cent of COVID-19 cases among children of school going age (5-18 years, WHO). I am excited to hear schools will reopen and soon we shall get to reunite with friends and teachers to learn more," Lawrence said. Everything must be done to avoid that the number of out-of-school children increases further. Fifty-eightwomen and children of more than 600 who were abducted last year during vicious intercommunal fighting in South Sudan, have been reunited with their families, the UN Spokesperson told reporters on Monday. The Ministry of General Education and Instruction, UN and other education partners launched a distance learning programme through radio providing lessons twice a day as a way for children to continue learning and to stay engaged while home to prevent some of the adverse effects we saw. "This year is unique; I am proud of all candidates who never experienced school closures before, and despite the pandemic and crazy things happening, reading for exams in a short time. However, catching up on seven months of lost education and preparingfor the biggest exam of our liveswas stressful. There are 400,000 children out of school due to chronic insecurity and displacement, while another 13,000 are absorbed in the country's . Both Wendy and Daniel made it through the lessons and were part of the scenes of joy and relief after the last exam was done. These dangers included early pregnancies, child labour, recruitment into illegal groups and mental anguish. It was good enough for us to finish," Daniel Athien (17), a senior 4 student,joyfully expressed after putting down his pencil. Your email address will not be published. South Sudan Deputy Inspector General of Police, who also represented the Minister of Interior at the launch of the document described it as a "great document if implemented. Monday, August 30, 2021. Girls at the WFP-backed Mayo school in Juba are expected to attend 80 percent of classes. Both Wendy and Daniel made it through the lessons and were part of the scenes of joy and relief after the last exam was done. South Sudan's Ministry of General Education and Instruction has announced the reopening of both secondary and primary schools country-wide in the national capital Juba on Monday. The guidelines to be followed will be issued by the concerned ministries.. Ms. Awut further revealed that the reopening of schools came after the Girls Education South Sudan (GESS), an education program, and the Global Partnership for Education, a partnership and funding platform that aims to strengthen education systems in developing countries, provided funds to enable distribution of water sanitation and hygiene supplies, thermometers, reusable masks and menstrual hygiene management kits. And to the children, who have advocated for a return to school so that they can resume with their education and meet their teachers and peers again, we say that their message was heard; they also have a role to play to keep their schools safe. The government says they want to ensure learning continues across the country despite the Covid-19 pandemic. On that day the Vice-President of South Sudan, and the Minister of General Education and Instruction rang the bell in Juba Boys Primary School. John is one of the beneficiaries of school materials handed "I am so excited for completing my exams despite the long stay at home. Minister of General Education and Instructions Awut Deng Achuil during the reopening of schools launch May 3rd. May 4, 2021. I am excited to hear schools will reopen and soon we shall get to reunite with friends and teachers to learn more," Lawrence said. # Together For A Bright Future. Receive daily updates directly in your inbox -, Joy in South Sudan, as schools reopen after 14-month COVID lockdown, UN reportsleap forward in regulating DNA-altering technology to benefit all, Ukraine: Oxygen shortage putting lives in danger, Gaza medics struggling to cope with influx of wounded: UN agencies, Women abducted in South Sudan released, hundreds remain missing, UN agencies call for urgent action to avert famine risk in 20 hunger hotspots. There is increasing evidence that children and schools are not the main drivers of the epidemic across countries. UNICEF and UNESCO welcome the decision of the Government to start reopening of schools in South Sudan. We are seeing most sectors gradually reopen, except the education sector. Since the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out, western media have been demanding in their reports that "Africa should be silent no more." Students and pupils learn different things in contrast to what is taught in schools as they are not keen to revise their books; only the reopening of schools can make everything better, and the learning process will resume smoothly.. However, candidate classes were allowed to sit their national examinations. There has already been a near-doubling of outpatient admissions in the last weeks, likely from malaria infections or reinfections, Mr Oyens said. Even the teachers are ready to go back to work. The current reopening plan will cost just under USD 16.4 million, while only USD 7 million is available through the Global Partnership for Education. Despite conflicting opinions on the question, theres no mistaking the strong, almost visceral response shared by all: there is a need to protect the young from the risk of harm brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. Ms. Awut further revealed that the reopening of schools came after the Girls' Education South Sudan (GESS), an education program, and the Global Partnership for Education, a partnership and funding platform that aims to strengthen education systems in developing countries, provided funds to enable distribution of water sanitation and hygiene . 2023 marks a decade since Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first visit to U.S. attempts to use Taiwan to contain China doomed to fail, Impact of Russia-Ukraine conflict on global supply chains, Pick a side and join the anti-Russia camp? With the closures of schools an additional 2 million children were out of school. The state building and peace building efforts of the national plans put high demand on the education system to expand fast, reduce inequity, and provide appropriate teaching. United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office He said the partnership reduced bureaucracy and improved service delivery.. There are reports of children having been engaged in child labour, children roaming the markets looking for work and opportunities, children joining gangs and engaged in crime and substance abuse. The event was graced by the Vice President in charge of Service Cluster, Abdelbagi Ayii and the Minister of General Education and Instruction, Awut Deng. Schools across the country were frequently closed due to fighting and the threat of violence, and hundreds of schools and other civilian assets were looted and destroyed. The GPEII program financed by the US$41.7 million grant is designed to ensure that by the end of 2023, the number of boys and girls who are out of school in target areas decreases by 15%, while ensuring an increased equitable access to quality education through working closely with other programs. ywillemot@unicef.org tr.pant@unesco.org SDG: SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, Protection of human rights (Procedure 104). South Sudan had the first conference on Safe School Declaration (co-convenience meeting). Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, vice president in charge of service cluster, said the decision came in the wake of the recent drop in COVID-19 infections since March. Also, thousands of children, particularly those living in rural areas, from poorer families or with special needs, rely on schools as a lifeline to meals. Parents are also thrilled to see their children returning to school. Students return to school in Juba, South Sudan, after more than fourteen months of COVID-19 restrictions. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. "The exams were fair, not hard, not easy, but it was fair. The reopening will happen in phases. But public expenditure is one of the worlds lowest for education. Some of the previous easing of restrictions included reduction of the curfew period, resumption of regional flights and the reopening of markets, shops and bars. Their mental health deteriorates. ", "It is important for us the organized forces to disseminate the booklet," said Lieutenant-General James Pui Yak Yiel, He added that "we are committed to distributing this document and enforcing it within the armed forces since we are also the law enforcers. This has been due to a growing consensus that both the formal and informal economies cannot afford to remain shut down indefinitely. 12 African cities vying for the most culturally vibrant on the continent. The Safe School Declaration has been developed in the form of Schools as "Zones of Peace." Furthermore, South Sudan Ministry of Education policy framework has been developed and is now before the cabinet for approval. After an initial allocation of $35.7 million, a $6 million additional grant was approved to contribute to the implementation of the General Education Strategic Plan (GESP), 2017-2022. Details: WebIn South Sudan, 51 percent of children are out of school. The longer children stay out of school, the harder it is to get them back to the classrooms. As schools have now resumed, it is important to monitor how many children effectively returned to the education facilities. COVID-19 is still with us but we have decided to reopen schools and will strictly follow COVID-19 preventative measures in the schools, Akol told journalists in Juba during the official reopening for learners. Students tried to keep learning at home,but Wendy Ahonda (16)explains it was no easy feat. Schools finally reopened their doors after more than 14 months of closures because of COVID-19. Online learning is only for the privileged few. She called for wider collaborations among actors to create a conducive environment for learning in South Sudan. With the closure of schools, from one day to another, the number of out of school children in South Sudan had almost doubled. Famine isalready onthe doorstepof millions of families in 20 countries, twoUNagencies warned on Tuesday in a reportthat callsfor urgent action to avertrising hunger due to factors such asconflict, climate extremes and the COVID-19 pandemic. Occupying school is a thing of the past. As we move ahead it is important to remember how the closure of schools has severely impacted on the well being of children and on the country, and to avoid any new school closures in the future. I believe we are going to excel in the exams, and I am glad we have made it," Windy says with a grin. You can sense the jubilation at Development Secondary School in Juba as senior four students braced the blistering heat to celebrate the completion of their secondary school examinations. "I am happy that right now, we can study again. Noel Kana is one of them, "I am happy to hear that schools will reopen because being idle is not suitable for learners. The program is complementary to South Sudans US$7 million COVID-19 grant. Q&A: How are African countries improving the quality of their education? Verified 5 days ago. This Manifesto was developed in Freetown, Sierra Leone on 18-20 May, 2022 in a gender-transformative leadership workshop hosted by the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education and the Gender at the You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. And the risks for them of keeping schools closed outweigh the health risks caused by the pandemic.

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