This article was last updated on May 26, 2022
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Commissioner Garang Kuach Ariath says the county is experiencing several challenges in implementing the girl-child education policy as the girls’ drop-out rate is increasing annually in the county.
“We have been appealing to the organizations whose projects are working closely in girl-child education program to help put more endeavours in making lots of awareness especially to parents and girls so that the number of schoolgirls does not drop lower every year,” Kuach said.
He also says that 2013/2014 has been a worst year ever where good number of schoolgirls dropped out of schools due to early marriages and an unintended pregnancy happening in primary and secondary schools.
“If we did not have good number of schoolgirls dropping out of their schools last year; then 2014 primary and secondary examinations would have been wonderfully full of girls competing with boys,” he said.
According to the county commissioner, he received a report from the county education inspector indicating that November and December reports showed 46 girls who have dropped out of schools apart from the rest of the month which he says can go higher than indicated figure.
He further called on the parents to note the importance of education to girls as well as boys and appeal to parents to allow every child to go to school despite his/her sex.
“There is a big role that needs to be played by the parents, and that is by allowing their girls to go schools like the sons so that both can have brighter future. County authority together with ministry of education cannot do any change to this unless the parents play their role,” He urged.
The commissioner denied the report of a teacher that was arrested over the issue that he impregnated two schoolgirls that he teaches, saying his office is not aware of the report.
“I’m not aware of a teacher arrested for having impregnated two schoolgirls last year, but if there exists something like this then the education act will take its course where the culprit can be held accountable in the court,” he said.
South Sudan’s Child Act 2009 stipulates that every child has the right to free compulsory education at primary level.
The Country’s Transitional Constitution also says that all levels of government shall
promote education at all levels and shall ensure free and compulsory education at the primary level.
In South Sudan 7.3% of girls are married before they reach 15 and 42.2% between the ages of 15 and 18. This is contributing to the large numbers of girls who are dropping out of primary school before the end of the eight-year cycle; while around 37% of girls enrol in primary school, only around 7% complete the curriculum and only 2% go on to enrol in secondary school.
The passing of the Child Act in 2008 represented a key milestone in legal reform for safeguarding children’s rights in South Sudan and prohibits the marriage of children under the age of 18. However, knowledge and implementation of the law remains limited.
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