December 10, 2011 (JUBA) - South Sudanese students graduating from the University of Nairobi in Kenya, have called on the Juba government to increase efforts to improve the quality of education in the country.

South Sudanese students (Aljazeera)

One of the 16 South Sudanese students who graduated on 2 December, Malual Majok, told Sudan Tribune that they have a “duty to repay the sacrifice which others have made” and failure to do so would be tantamount to a betrayal of their fellow citizens.

Santino Muong Deng Anei, another recent graduate from Northern Bahr el Ghazal state expressed his happiness and thanked his relatives for their support. He commended the governor of his home state, Paul Malong Awan Anei and his brother, Tong Deng Anei, who supported him throughout the four year course. He said he would use his knowledge to contribute to the development of South Sudan.

Civil wars in the formerly united Sudan and a lack of investment have negatively impacted upon many of South Sudan’s institutions, including the education system. Many educational facilities were either turned into military barracks or destroyed during armed confrontations.

Speaking at an academic forum held at Juba University in November, Joseph Ukel, the minister of general education, remarked that only 13 percent of primary school children go on to attend secondary school in South Sudan.

He warned that the current examination system causes difficulty for those children who also need to commit time to practical work outside of school.

Ukel suggested that the selection process for secondary schools and universities is modified in South Sudan.

South Sudan’s literacy rate is 73 percent according to the Ministry of Education, 27 percent according to the CIA and one of the lowest in the world according to most observers.

(ST)