Juba, South Sudan,
May 26, 2021 – The United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has donated 2.7 million textbooks to the government of South Sudan through the Ministry of General Education and Instructions.
South Sudan’s Minister of General Education and Instructions, Awut Deng Acuil revealed that her ministry received the two 2.7 million textbooks from the UN agency yesterday, 25th May 2021.
Speaking to the media during the handover ceremony, Acuil said the textbooks will be allocated to primary and secondary schools across the country, acknowledging that almost 20 children were depending on one textbook, a phenomenon she said has been a concern to the ministry over the last past years.
“First of all, it is not even good for education because every child should have a book. So, it is not going to be one to 19 but it is going to be one to one,” Acuil said.
She called on all students to adhere to Covid-19 preventive measures by regularly wearing facemasks, sanitizing hands, and keeping three feet social distancing, especially during classes.
UNICEF country representative, Hamida Lasseko, expressed her excitement to have handed over textbooks to the children that missed school for almost two years adding that seeing children going back to school was one of her dreams.
“UNICEF is extremely happy and delighted to be part of this, particularly as we know that textbooks are a very important tool,” she said.
“The children will agree with me that it is very important for you to be able to receive the curriculum because they are the tool to deliver the curriculum,” Hamida added.
Schools in South Sudan were shut down for nearly a year following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic which engulfed the entire planet.
The production, procurement, and distribution of textbooks is part of the government’s initiative to bolster learning as children returned to school after almost one year.
In April, the Ministry of General Education and Instructions with support from Save the Children printed 112 million textbooks – which will be distributed at 3,700 schools.
