United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) calls South Sudan to increase its public spending in education (20.01.2020)

2.2 million children do not have access to quality education in South Sudan, jeopardizing the future of the entire country.

JUBA, South Sudan, January 20, 2020 – South Sudan is not sufficiently prioritizing children’s education, UNICEF said today. While the internationally agreed international standard for education allocations is 20 per cent of the national budget, South Sudan only spends 5.6 per cent for 2019-2020, according the national budget. This is the lowest public education spending in East Africa, recent studies say.2.2 million children do not have access to quality education in South Sudan, jeopardizing the future of the entire country. As the country prepares for a new academic year, UNICEF is calling on the Government of South Sudan to prioritize education in its government spending.

“Education must be a top priority for the Government in South Sudan and sufficient allocations must be made to ensure every child in the country can go to school and learn,” said UNICEF Representative in South Sudan Dr Mohamed Ag Ayoya. “By investing in the education of its children, South Sudan is investing in the future and development of the whole country.”

The call for more public spending on education in South Sudan, comes as UNICEF is launching the global report ‘Addressing the learning crisis: an urgent need to better finance education for the poorest children’. Nearly 1 in 3 adolescent girls from the poorest households around the world has never been to school, the report says – launched as education ministers from all over the world are gathered at the Education World Forum, ahead of the World Economic Forum annual meeting.

Poverty, discrimination due to gender, disability, ethnic origin or language of instruction, physical distance from schools and poor infrastructure are among the obstacles that continue to prevent the poorest children from accessing quality education. Exclusion at every step of education perpetuates poverty and is a key driver of a global learning crisis.

The paper notes that the lack of resources available for the poorest children is exacerbating a crippling learning crisis, as schools fail to provide quality education for their students.

In South Sudan, lack of public investment in education is contributing to the critical shortage of qualified teachers. An estimated 62 per cent of primary teachers and 44 per cent of secondary teachers are not qualified. Also, many teachers leave the profession due to salaries not being paid on a regular basis.

UNICEF calls the Government of South Sudan:

• to progressively increase the education share of the national budget to the international agreed standard of 20 per cent.
• to ensure salaries of qualified teachers are paid and paid on time to increase teacher retention.
• to allocate adequate resources to pre-primary education to ensure children are starting primary school well prepared.

“With South Sudan’s academic year commencing in a few weeks, it is prudent to commit to realizing every child’s right to an education, by ensuring the education sector has the necessary resources,” said Ayoya.

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Cattle keepers in Wau benefit from free veterinary camp provided by UNMISS peacekeepers (28.12.2019)

In South Sudan, the death of a cow or a goat is a big loss, as cattle are important assets.

JUBA, South Sudan, December 28, 2019 – Since her childhood days in Majok, Martha Agew’s life has relied heavily on rearing livestock. Ms. Agew was one of may beneficiaries as Bangladeshi peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan provided cattle keepers in her area with free veterinary services.

“I am a 65-year-old cattle keeper who has been owning more than 500 cows in Achol-Majok in Wau town, but due to an acute shortage of medications I have lost about 30 cows and two goats in recent years, she says, adding that she was aware of plenty of over livestock in frail health.

 “If one of our animals was sick, it was either slaughtered or left to die because there was no availability of veterinary services around here. This led to a decline in our livestock production and limited marketing opportunities. But now, thanks to the peacekeepers who offered us free veterinary services we can become more self-sufficient.”

During the veterinary campaign, Joseph Richard Ambuka, Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Health in Wau, appealed to the peacekeeping mission to extend its services to other areas outside Wau town.

In South Sudan, the death of a cow or a goat is a big loss, as cattle are important assets. They are not only used as a source of food and to generate income, but also as dowry for marriages and as signs of wealth and power.

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