South Sudan Announces the Elimination of School Fees

The government of South Sudan, announced on Monday that school fees in all public schools will be abolished. The move has sparked a lot of concern from various people who think it would worsen the already crippled education system of the country.

The Minister of Education Deng Deng Hoc, said:

“South Sudan is working hard to build an inclusive education system in the face of huge unmet needs, and this is why we want free education for all children.”

According to the United Nations, an ongoing military conflict between the government and rebels since December 2013 has destroyed more than 800 schools in the country.

Also, with over half of elementary and high school age children not able to get an education, South Sudan has one of the highest population of children out of school in the world.

Hoc, added that UN and other development partners were supporting schools with educational materials.

South Sudan is currently making moves to revive its oil production, which had dropped as a result of the military conflict. It is however not clear how the government would finance the free education.

Education analyst Abraham Kuol Chol, said school fees helped to finance teachers’ salaries, adding that abolishing it could prompt many teachers to abandon their profession

“Most of the teachers in the countryside depend on school fees, he said.”

Reports suggest that South Sudan’s school fees are currently only about five dollars per child annually.

Photo Credit: Samir Bol/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images