Panel Believes Quality Education In Sudan Is Within Reach

Sarah Mamula - Talk Radio News Service

Sudan’s educational system is taking giant steps towards improving its quality, but a panel of experts said Friday at the United States Institute of Peace that there are still many more obstacles to overcome.

Since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005, the northern-based National Congress Party (NCP) and the southern-based Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) shared government control of Sudan. When the interim period ends, Southern Sudan will have the option to vote and secede from a united Sudan, an outcome experts said is likely to occur. According to the panel, tough challenges lie ahead for a newly recognized state, and overhauling the education system is a major priority for the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS).

“Right now, we are in the process, in Southern Sudan, of creating a quality education system for the first time in the history of Southern Sudan,” said Marc Sommers, Associate Research Professor of Humanitarian Studies at The Fletcher School and expert on the region.

Senior Education Adviser at the Academy for Educational Development Elizabeth Leu said enrollment in primary and secondary schools has nearly doubled since 2005. Despite this success, Leu said the high dropout rate is one of many problems facing the education system.

“In 2009, there were almost half a million students in primary schools, in grade one. In grade eight, there were only 18,000 students,” said Leu. “A lot of students are entering school and very quickly dropping out.”

Some major issues Southern Sudan is currently facing includes training and paying teachers and balancing the gender disparity. According to Leu, 85% of males in Southern Sudan enroll and only 57% of females enroll. 

Experts said the Southern Sudan’s government has a lot of work ahead of them, but remain optimistic that the progress being made will continue.

“I just see a lot of new energy and commitment within the education sector,” said Leu.

Sudan-One Country-Two Systems

As the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) by President Bill Clinton nears, Commissioner for the rights of non-Muslims in Sudan, Joshua Dae Diu, spoke at the Hudson Institute about the progress Sudan has made.

“Religion is still a major problem in Sudan. South Sudan has become a secular system where freedom of religion is allowed, while the north is still not allowing non-Muslims to practice their religion,” Diu said.

The CPA says that there are other citizens practicing different religions and traditions that police, judges, and other law enforcement need to remember and to allow. Diu says because of this agreement, the south has moved to allow non-Muslims to practice their religion freely throughout. The north is still an Islamic State and until the elections occur in 2009, the north has refused to change course to allow religious freedom.

“The CPA has tried to address the basic issues that plague Sudan, that is why we have one country with two systems. After six years of having these two systems, what do we do then? We must leave it up to the people in the north and south,” Diu said.

Along with the elections that will take place in 2009, a Census is being held throughout Sudan. Diu said that the Census does not cover who is non-Muslim in the Nation’s Capitol and in Sudan. Diu went on to say that the south should have argued this but they were intimidated by the northern officials. “Because of the south being intimidated by the north we are now stuck, we will have to wait another 10 years for another Census to occur. We can not wait another 10 years to get safety for non-Muslims in Sudan.,” Diu stated.