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[Yei, South Sudan, TCT]13,584 pupils of Kanjoro Primary School are sitting for their primary eight final examinations in South Sudan’s Central Equatoria State, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has announced. Speaking to candidates after ringing the bell in Kanjoro, the state Minister of Education Clement Marring Samuel said pupils in Yei are starting their examinations. He expressed his excitement that this particular school is taking exams, saying, "It is the first time that the Ministry of Education is ringing the bell in this school. That’s why I’m happy, because all the pupils are shining and they are ready for the exams”, he said. Minister Marring rang the bell for the start of the exams at the school to signal the launch of the first five days exams paper. He said the accelerated learning pupils are also included in the overall number. In Yei River County alone, 3,435 primary eight candidates, comprised of 1,221 females and 2,214 males, are sitting in 28 centers, according to Philip Taban Issa, the county education director. “And it has increased. In one of the centres, Kanjoro Primary school, we have three schools plus adult literacy schools”, he added. County Commissioner Samuel Henry Malimu encouraged the candidates to work hard and face the examinations with confidence. “I want to thank the county and municipality authorities for providing good security for you to conduct these examples. I believe this is going to be the system all over the county, even in the remote places, the security is going to be provide until the exams are done”, he said. Colonel Jeremiah Maker Nai, the county Police Commissioner, said the security situation in the county is stable and candidates will continue sitting their final exams in peace. “There is nothing to worry about. I want to confirm to you that the security situation is good. If there is something, we are ready”, said Nai.

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[Juba, South Sudan] Children in South Sudan, who were forced out of school due to poverty, gender discrimination, or conflict, mostly at areas affected by war, such as Jonglei, Upper Nile, and Unity states are getting a second chance for education. The United Nations Children’s Funds-UNICEF has established a programme called “Back-to-Learning Initiative,” which was launched this year.

Speaking to media, the head of the EU delegation in South Sudan, Stefano Del Leo said, “The campaign targeting 400,000 children is a process, but that requires support from the government, partners, and the local community.”

“We are aware that we are all at the starting point because as we say, school needs infrastructure, teachers, and this is also to be set up together with the international community. And, we have to continue together with the government of South Sudan, and we are partners. We want to share this process because we both believe that the youth are the most important resource of the country.”

The conflict in South Sudan has affected so many families with worse poverty that has forced children out of the schools in South Sudan. The only way to avoid future poverty that might cause future conflict in South Sudan is by taking children to school, so that young generation with an education will love peace and unity. They will develop their resources and have enough for their families and children.

“The government must prioritize education in the country. There must be adequate infrastructure of education with classrooms and books for children, rather than 100 students in one classroom, which makes the learning process difficult. Teachers must be secured and well paid,” stated narrated De Leo.

Meanwhile, more than 50 children at All Saints Kindergarten in Rajaf East Payam, Central Equartoria state have discovered the art of painting and created their first masterpieces at their school. The two-hour art initiative on Friday was spearheaded by the sector South UN female peacekeepers from Rwandese, Ethiopian and Nepalese battalions.

Speaking in the occasion, Nadio, one of the female peacekeepers, said,

“The initiative was aimed to draw public attention to the need for good relations between Rajaf school community and the UN Mission in South Sudan.”

“My name is Nadio and I am from sector south. We want to conduct a drawing and coloring thing [with the children] and just engage them, find out where they are, and just play with them so they can be happy. We are here in Rajaf, and they will be seeing us. We don’t want them to be scared of the military so that we just want to make sure that they are okay with us,” said Nadio.

education conflict art school educationn South Sudan

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[Yei, South Sudan] Two primary one kids in Yei, Central Equatoria State are writing their final examinations with legs chained and padlocked as form of disciplinary action imposed on them by the father. The two boys aged 7 and 9, who are studying at St Paul Primary School in Yei, have been padlocked and chained by the father at night. According to the mother of the kids, Victoria S., she said, the father charged the kids of being naughty, and reporting home late as well as not attending classes when sent to school. The mother also confirmed that the children do not reach to school when send to school. “They come home late. So he chained them so that they will listen”, said Victoria the mother of five. The mother reported that the father entered through a window at night into the house where the children were sleeping, chained and padlocked them thinking it could be an alternative solution of disciplining the children. The mother also described that the father had earlier beaten the children, beating them with bicycle padlock which inflicted wounds on their bodies of these kids. But she reported it to the school administration so that a solution may be found. Lomuja Moses Joseph, the Head Teacher of St Paul Primary School, said the incident was the first of its kind in the school, however, he intervene as the children were given unfair punishment. “We discussed with these parents earlier and sent them home warning them that, canning will not be a solution to these children. It is actually the first of its kind to see these kind of incidents”, he told TCT at the school on Friday. According to the head teacher, the school administration and parents had lengthy discussions on the situation of the children with the parents accepting to change mentality of treating the children badly. He called on parents to cease from corporal punishment against children, pleading to the local government to ‘take action’. The head teacher also disclosed other incidents which have happened to other children. He said he was informed about a parent who punished his child by using heated fork spoon and pressed it on the chest. The head teacher also said, a soldier by profession went to the school and asked for permission to let him kill his child claiming his child was difficult to discipline. According to subsection (f) in section 1 of article 17 of the South Sudan Transitional Constitution 2011, “every child has the right to be free from corporal punishment and cruel and inhuman treatment by any person including parents, school administrations and other institutions.” The Inspector of Gender and Social Welfare in Yei Municipality, Juma Denis Daniel, warned the parents to face legal action, should they fail to set the children free to avoid continuous violation of their rights. He described the incident inflicted against the two children as a “complete mistreatment of children and denial of child rights to other entitled rights” including right to feeding, freedom and protection. The government officer warned after meeting the school administration and the parent at the school and called for collective responsibility of the government, community to tackle abuses against children rights. “Corporal punishment and cruelty against children would lead to psychological torture”, he said. The two children attend primary one class along with other 58 pupils. There are 380 pupils at St. Paul’s Primary School altogether. Efforts to reach the accused father for comments on the accusation was unsuccessful.

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