This document discusses education challenges and progress in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly South Sudan. It notes that while progress has been made in increasing access to education, many countries will still not achieve universal primary education by 2015. It highlights barriers to education access such as poverty, distance to schools, lack of teachers and infrastructure. For South Sudan specifically, it outlines that only half the population is literate, there are high numbers of children and girls out of school, and shortages of qualified teachers, textbooks and classrooms pose ongoing challenges. Expanding educational opportunities is crucial for poverty reduction, gender equity and developing skills for employment in South Sudan.

2. Amartya Sen,
economist.philosopher and
Nobel Price Laureate
(Development and
Freedom, 1999)
Poverty leads to an
intolerable waste of
talent. Poverty is
not just a lack of
money; it is not
having the capability
to realize one’s full
potential as a
human being.

3. Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education
Target 3: Ensure that by 2015, children every-
where, boys and girls alike, will be able to
Complete a full course of primary schooling
Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality
and Empower Women
Target 4: Eliminate gender disparity in primary
and secondary education, preferably by 2005,
and in all levels of education no later than 2015

4. • None of the eight MDGs can be achieved without
sustained investment in education. Education gives the
skills and knowledge to improve health, livelihoods and
promote sound environmental practices. (UNESCO)
• Education is a fundamental human right, to be respected
at all times. It is one of the most effective tools for
achieving inclusive and sustainable economic growth and
recovery, reducing poverty, hunger and child labour,
improving health, incomes and livelihoods, for promoting
peace, democracy and environmental awareness.
Education empowers individuals with the knowledge,
values and skills they need to make choices and shape
their future.
Oslo Declaration “Acting Together” Eighth Meeting of the High-Level
Group on Education for All, 16 – 18 December 2008.

5. • “Across Sub-Saharan Africa, there is a general
awareness that the last decade has witnessed
unprecedented progress in the development of
education”
Zulmira Rodrigues, Education Coordinator for Africa, ,UNESCO, Dakar
• Never in African history has so much been achieved
in education over such a short period of time and
governments are legitimately proud of their
achievements. But the gap between the have and
have-nots in education remains too large.
Sub-Saharan Africa 2012 Education for All Report, Paris,
21 – 23 November 2012

6. SCHOOL ENROLLMENT; PRIMARY (% NET) IN SUB
SAHARAN AFRICA (World Bank 2012)
19672013CHART TYPE

7. SCHOOL ENROLLMENT; PRIMARY; FEMALE (% GROSS) IN
SUB SAHARAN AFRICA (World Bank 2012)
19672013CHART TYPE

8. Despite the great achievements, very few countries in the
Sub-Saharan African region will reach the Education for All
Goals by the year 2015. (Zulmira Rodrigues)

10. SCHOOL ENROLLMENT; SECONDARY (% GROSS) IN
SUB SAHARAN AFRICA (World Bank 2012)
19672013CHART TYPE

12. Global Action Week 2013 (April 21 - 27)
Without adequate numbers of
professionally qualified
teachers, including female
teachers, who are deployed in
the right places, well-
remunerated and motivated,
adequately supported and
proficient in local languages,
we cannot offer the world’s
(Africa’s) children quality
education.
Without teachers
a school is just a
building
Africa needs 1 million teachers
in order for every child to have
access to primary education

13. UN Human Development Report 2011

15. Dryland zones - Pastoralists, Nomads
Areas of Conflict or War – Displaced People

16. • New Country – Emerging from decades of war
• 50% of population living below the poverty line
• Very high maternal and under-five mortality rate
• Insecurity and conflicts, 300,000 displaced people
South Sudan

17. Education Indicators
• Second lowest net primary school enrolment rates in the
world (of 123 countries).
• The last of 134 countries on secondary school enrolment
• 1.3 million children of primary school-age out of school.
• High drop-out rates, 436,000 pupils in grade I and just 22,000
in the final year of secondary school
• High grade repetition - 16% of students repeat grade I
• Starting school late (reaching adolescence in early grades)
• Girls account for two in every three out-of-school children
• Less than 600 girls are enrolled in the last grade of secondary
school (1/3 of the number of boys).

18. Learning Infrastructure
• Female teachers: 13% in primary, 10% in secondary
(2012)
• Student/teacher ratio - 52:1, in Jonglei 104:1
• Student/qualified teacher ratio - 104:1
• 1/3 of teachers have only a primary education
• Only 16% of teachers have professional qualifications
• Deficit of 30 – 40,000 teachers (only 1,100 graduating)
to keep the 50:1 teacher/pupil ratio
• Shortage of text books and classrooms:
Permanent classrooms 3.7%; Semi-permanent
23.9%; Roof only 8.5%: Open air 34%; Other 0.8%.

19. Kapoeta North & Budi Counties – South Sudan

20. Remoteness
Poor Roads
Rains
Insecurity
Eastern Equatoria,
South Sudan
Education CHALLENGES

21. Pastoralism, illiterate/uneducated parents not
understanding the importance of education

22. Poverty
Girls’
Labour

25. Lack of school buildings.
Budi County classrooms: 17 permanent, 102 semi-permanent
Kapoeta North only 6 schools

26. Long Distance to School – Need for Dormitories for Girls

27. Lack of qualified teachers – low salaries
• Kapoeta North - 31 male and 4 female teachers
• Budi County - trained teachers: 47 male;
untrained teachers: 341 male, 24 female

28. Late delivery of food from WFP in 2012 - enrollment drop in
Kapoeta North: 2011 – 702 learners (463 boys, 239 girls
2012 – 388 learners (304 boys, 84 girls

29. Michale Lopuke Lotyam – Minister of Education Eastern Equatoria State

30. • Education holds the key to South Sudan’s
future. It is vital to poverty reduction and the
development of strategies aims at building an
inclusive, peaceful and resilient society. With
one of the world’s youngest populations,
South Sudan needs education to create jobs
and strengthen livelihoods. And without
expanded opportunities for schooling, there
will be no progress toward gender equity.
Accelerating Progress to 2015 – South Sudan A report series to the
UN Special Envoy for Global Education, April 2013 Working Paper.

31. Holistic education - Access, Quality, Inclusiveness
Adapted to local context - Access to jobs & income
Access to Global Market

32. Girls/Women
Potential

34. Rights, equal participation in decision-making

35. Health issues:
Water/sanitation/Hygiene
De-worming
Vaccines, bed nets
Food, supplements (iron,
iodine, vitamins)

36. «Past generations have developed only some of the potential of
some of our children. We can be the first generation to realize
all of the potential of all of the world’s young people through
education.»
Gordon Brown,
UN Special Envoy
for Global Education
Every year of school
Attendance raises
Wages of 4– 8 %