It is long overdue for South Sudan’s leaders to emphasize literacy as the cornerstone of national progress. However, in the digital era, literacy must go beyond the ability to read and write.

The commitment by the Vice President for the Service Cluster, Josephine Lagu, to work with the Ministry of General Education to improve the sector is a promising step. But as one lawmaker rightly pointed out during the recent TNLA sitting, unequal network coverage across the country threatens to derail these ambitions.

It is true that empowerment means equipping citizens with digital skills and that requires equal access to technology and connectivity.

In many rural areas, schools lack not just internet but even the basic infrastructure to support digital education not to mention unequal telephone network connectivity.

This leaves thousands of young people cut off from the opportunities their peers in urban centers will access.

Many students are still unable to retrieve their examination results due to poor connectivity and unaffordable access fees in most areas across the country. This digital exclusion deepens educational inequality and undermines national literacy goals.

Connectivity is no longer a privilege; it is a necessity for education, healthcare, commerce, and governance. If South Sudan is to build a literate and digitally empowered generation, it must invest not only in teachers and curricula but also in nationwide network expansion.

Partnerships with telecom providers, innovative community-based solutions, and targeted government policies will be key to bridging this gap which must be central to any education strategy moving forward.

Literacy goals that ignore connectivity equity risk deepening inequality. Every child, whether in Juba or a remote village, deserves the same chance to learn, connect, and thrive. South Sudan’s digital future depends on it.