By Chol D. Johnson
The Vice President and chairperson for the service cluster, Josephine Joseph Lagu, has promised to partner with the Ministry of Education to improve the country’s education system.
Josephine made the remark during the International Literacy Day under the theme” Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era” held at Dr. John Primary school in Juba yesterday.
“I have learned the importance of services to our people, the men and women in uniform, most of you had the opportunities to go to school”, she emphasized.
“Women are not just women; they should have access to education”, she added.
Meanwhile, the Minister of General Education and Instruction (MoGEI), Hon. Kuyok Abol Kuyok, emphasized the importance of the day to the country’s education calendar, stating it is the awareness day about the importance of literacy.
“Literacy is basically recognised as a basic human right and fundamental driver of social [and] economic development, as well as gender equality,“ he said.
He added that the theme for this year reminds them of the importance of literacy to empower people to make informed decisions and sustainable development.
Kuyok highlighted some progress made in the education sector since 2005.
“I’m delighted to say that on this account, South Sudan has made some progress since 2005, as [the] literacy rate is now at 35% from 28%.
However, he noted that this rate is still among the lowest in the world, that why the ministry targeted adult literacy programs in schools and outside schools for government institutions such army and organised forces.
“In terms of improvement in access to education in 2005, there were only 300,000 school children in South Sudan; in terms of gender, there were only three girls for every 100 learners”, he explained.
He further added that when the president launched girls’ education, the number of girls in school increased to 34 out of every 100 learners.
“Today, enrolment is at 2.2 million learners and in primary education in some states, there are more girls than boys in school”, he said.
On her part, 38-year-old Betty John, who is an adult education student and also works with Wildlife conservation, said it is the right time for the country to develop human resources.
“The time for liberation has ended, it’s the time to develop human resources, particularly women in the security sectors”, Betty said.
“We are now having three schools here in Juba. Salaam, Dr. John Garang, and Buluk Center for learning, which really helps us to know our rights as women,” she explained.
The event, which was organised by the Ministry of Education, was attended by more than four thousand students, including the organised force, SSPDF, and Wildlife forces, who were trained on how to read and write in the digital era, including school children.
International Literacy Day is celebrated every year on September 8 to raise public awareness about the importance of literacy.
The day is celebrated by UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) to raise awareness about how literacy is important for personal dignity, human rights, and societal development.
The day also highlights how literacy plays an important role in highlighting the ongoing global challenges and progress in achieving literacy for all, as an integral part of lifelong learning.
It also serves as a reminder and a call to action for governments, communities, and organisations to intensify efforts in promoting and expanding literacy initiatives worldwide.