A member of South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State Assembly is worried about the disruption of learning caused by the closure of about 20 primary schools due to heavy rains in Budi County.
Kokol Michael, an SPLM-IO state MP, told Radio Tamazuj that pupils in government-owned Tarim, Lopitang, Hahach, Ngatuba, Longeli, Ngilalnya, Tulungi, Ngari, Nahichot and others are missing classes.
He says the schools have been operating under trees since independence and during extreme weather, learning is interrupted.
“For two weeks now, there is heavy rains in the eastern part of Budi. All the schools that are operating under the trees are completely cut off and pupils cannot continue learning. When the rain starts, they have to go home,” he said.
Michael called on education partners to construct permanent structures for the pupils to avoid the disruption of learning for these pupils.
“I am trying to pass this information to the ministry of general education and instruction and education partners so that they can construct shelters in these schools. There are almost 20 they have been operating all under the trees, for many years. The turn up of the pupils has been high but once the rain comes it goes down,” he said.
Opika Opoka Joseph, Budi County Education Director confirmed the closure of schools and said County School Inspectors have been deployed to assess the situation of the schools.
“Last week, I sent the inspectors about five of them because in Chukudum here I have seven Payams, the two Payams are in Kimotong and then Ngaric,” he said. “I will inform the school management committees if they can make local shelters because it is now raining where the grass can be available they go and collect the grass and try to make some shelters to sustain the learners while waiting for while waiting for capitation grant.”
The state education minister Samy Lopeyo Aperingole states that lack of funding is the main challenge.
“We have a lot of schools under trees in some counties. We all know when the rain comes it can affect these people for a while until it stops. We have some in Lafon side, we have some in Kapoeta East, and then in Budi,” he explained. “When we want to support the community we can even start under the trees that is just because we also lack the funds for constructing schools, there are schools even during Sudan time that are under the trees,” he admitted.
He adds, “We have already mapped them and even our governor was advising our partners to support those schools, those areas, those communities and you know, you have seen our partners in some areas they are not even enough most of them they are operating in towns like Torit and Magwi due to insecurity.”