The directive to reopen school today for the new year calendar was issued by the National Ministry of General Education and Instruction
By James Chatim
The National Ministry of General Education and Instruction said on Sunday that both primary and secondary schools’ new academic year will commence today, on Monday, February 3, 2025.
Luate William Alex, the Director General at the State Ministry of Education in Central Equatoria confirmed that both private and public schools will resume.
Speaking to The City review on Sunday, Simon Yugu Michael, the Director of Studies (DOS) at Juba Public Secondary School confirmed that their school will adhere to the new academic calendar.
Education in South Sudan is modelled after the educational system of the Republic of Sudan. Primary education consists of eight years, followed by four years of secondary education.
The primary language at all levels is English, as compared to the Republic of Sudan, where the language of instruction is Arabic. There is a severe shortage of English teachers and English-speaking teachers in the scientific and technical fields.
In November last year (2024), Deputy Minister of General, Hon. Martin Tako Moyi, revealed significant development in the education sector in the country, as the sector saw a rise in student admissions in both primary and secondary levels.
Compared to 2023 entries, Tako said, CPE candidates were 69,455, with 38,497 males and 30,988 females. This representing an increment of 9,404, which is 13.5 per cent in the Certificate of Primary Education (CPE).
However, despite the developments, the sector has experiences widespread challenges, generally emanating from limited funding, which has impacted key services, including remuneration and salaries for teachers.
Teachers across various states in the country, have for instance asked government to fulfil its promise of paying the salary arrears even as schools reopen.
On Monday, the Jonglei State Teachers’ Union gave the national Ministry of Finance a 72-hour ultimatum to clear their three-month salary arrears on Monday.
The professional organization advocating for teachers’ rights said the other government institutions received their three months salaries, while the teachers in the state failed to receive their share.
However, the President, in a meeting with the national Minister of General Education and Instruction on Friday instructed the Ministry to continue in its efforts towards uplifting the education system, stressing that education is for the development of the nation.
Caution against use of dollar for paying school fees
And as schools commence officially today, Central Equatoria State Ministry of General Education and Instruction has warned private schools against charging students in hard currency.
This warning was issued in a meeting with the management of the private schools in Juba last Friday ahead of the opening of the school.
Lawati William, the Director General of the State Ministry of Education urged all private school principals to register students in the local currency to avoid the unjustified increase in student registration fees.
“Some children will be out of school because their parents do not have hard currency for the registration process,”
Also, he urged principals and owners of private schools to provide real and accurate statistics to the ministry.
William said all schools must adhere to the policy of education, saying there should be no registration of students in schools without an accredited certificate.
The meeting addressed important issues affecting the education system in Central Equatoria State particularly Juba City, and the increase in student registration fees this year.
The discussions also stressed the importance of respecting the decisions made by the Ministry of Education in Central Equatoria State, especially about unifying the academic calendar and reforming the school environment.
However, some school principals attributed the high student registration fees to the high taxes levied on them by the government.
They said some private schools pay the government up to eight million pounds for land.
“Lack of clear policies from the government, and some security men take $600 from foreign teachers to complete their legal procedures,” a representative of private schools said.