Wau commences textbook distribution in schools
The Ministry of General Education and Instruction in Western Bahr el Ghazal State has begun the distribution of textbooks for South Sudan’s curriculum to schools in Wau.
The Director-General of the Ministry of Education in Western Bahr el Ghazal State, Luciano Alberto Urayo, told the media during the distribution exercise in Wau that the books being distributed are for primary and secondary schools.
Alberto said the textbooks are for primary two, four, six, eight, and senior two and four, respectively.
He said they had identified several of the same textbooks being sold in the market in Wau town and urged the schools to stamp all the textbooks.
“We in our state are stamping these books with the stamps of the ministry of education and the headteachers are also stamping the books. So this is how we do [it] not to let these books leak into the market, ” Alberto said.
He said the textbooks will only be used during classes. Once the teacher completes his lesson, he or she must collect them from the learners.
“Definitely, we are not going to leave these books to the students on their own because we will not have more books for four years,” he emphasised.
According to the director, they have four trucks full of textbooks to be delivered to the three counties of Western Bahr el Ghazal based on the number of schools in each county.
“We are going to distribute the books first of all to our government schools, faith-based schools, and other schools, definitely. We shall definitely distribute the books,” he said.
“Now this is for Wau municipality. They are taking their books, and in the coming days, we will go outside. We have a team going to Raja to distribute these books to the end, even to the border of South Sudan with Sudan and other countries who are bordering us.”
Alberto urged both the teachers and students to make good use of the textbooks and preserve them for the next generations.
Misheck He praised the government for distributing textbooks, which he said would allow teachers to teach South Sudan’s curriculum to students.
Herman confirmed that some textbooks, such as agriculture, we’re still missing, adding that he would continue to use the previous agriculture textbooks in the meantime.
“I remain hopeful that the government will continue enhancing us with scholastic materials that we can be using in the schools” Herman said.
Since independence in 2011, South Sudan has used curricula for basic and secondary schools drawn from various countries, mostly Kenya, Uganda, and Sudan, for various subjects.
The government of South Sudan has developed its first-ever curriculum with the help of its partners.
The curriculum review was based on major legal instruments that regulate education and development in South Sudan, including the interim Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan (2011), the Education Act (2012), and the General Education Strategic Plan (2012-2017).
This curriculum provides up-to-date, relevant content that gives equal weight to all academic areas and adheres to worldwide norms and expectations. According to a report released by UNICEF, early childhood development, primary (8-year) and secondary (4-year) education, as well as alternative education, are all covered.
