Let all children back to school – gov’t tells parents
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The Ministry of General Education and Instruction has called on parents and guardians to send all children of school-going age back to learning.
This comes as classes re-open after a year of closure. Institutions of learning were closed as the government tried to contain the spread of COVID-19.
In an address to Juba One Boys Primary School in Juba Monday, the Minister of General Education and Instruction, Awut Deng Aquil said it was the role of parents to ensure that children attain education.
“This is our responsibility as parents, to ensure that our children are encouraged and supported to return back to school today [Monday]. This is the key message you should give considerable attention,” Acuil said.
The Minister said as the COVID-19 pandemic still lingers and learners would still be advised to observe all the safety measures implemented by the ministry of health.
“Making sure that each one of us has to play a role that is divided to a personal level, you have to make sure that you are wearing the mask, washing your hands and keeping the social and physical distancing… it will keep our schools open and if we don’t do that, we will go back to lockdown and that is not good for education,” she said.
To teachers who have gone for months without pay and with many unable to report for duties due to financial incapacitation, Acuil said the government was seized with the matter and will work to address it.
“I want to say to all the teachers that you’re not alone, we are with you and am sure the team in the ministry of education will do their best to see how you can be assisted in this difficult time. We know that the economic situation is not good but we have to take a step to ensure that conditions of services are improved for teachers to be able to stand in class,” she said.
Acuil revealed that the ministry, in partnership with development partners had printed 3.2 million textbooks to reduce the children’s ratio from books 1:19 to 1:1.
“The children must take the responsibility of those books, this is to create an enabling environment where we reduce overcrowding in one place. So, it is very important that you take care of the property because you have to leave it for the next person to use,” she said.
