South Sudan’s Minister of General Education, Awut Deng, made a commitment during the handover ceremony of Bentiu Girls’ Primary School in Bentiu on Tuesday, October 31. She pledged that the national government would construct ten more schools in Unity State to enhance service delivery, especially for citizens returning due to the ongoing Sudanese conflict.
Minister Awut’s visit to Bentiu was to participate in the handover of Bentiu Girls’ Primary School, which was built with support from the United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) and funding from the African Development Bank (AFDB).
Awut stated, “I assure you; the Ministry of General Education and Instruction will construct 10 additional schools to accommodate returnees who will go back to learning.” Her announcement was made during a ceremony attended by senior government officials in the state capital, Bentiu.
In addition to building schools, the senior government official also pledged to include volunteer teachers in the government’s payroll. She informed teachers that their salaries had been increased, saying, “The government of South Sudan increased salaries for civil servants, and teachers are also included in these salary increments. I am informing you that volunteer teachers who have contributed to community development will be added to the government payroll, so they will receive salaries.”
Meanwhile, Acting Unity State Governor and State Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement Agencies, William Dak Koy, expressed his gratitude to the Minister of General Education and Instruction, humanitarian aid organizations, and development partners for their efforts in constructing the school.
He said, “I am very happy with UNICEF and the African Development Bank for this wonderful school construction. The state government will work hand in hand with education partners to create conducive learning environments in greater Bentiu.”
State Minister of General Education and Instruction, Stephen Tot Chieng, also appreciated UNICEF and the African Development Bank for their contributions and highlighted the challenges faced by schoolchildren in Unity State.
He emphasized the need for proper school facilities, saying, “As we are here today to witness this wonderful and official handover ceremony of Bentiu Girls Primary School, many school children are learning under trees because of flooding and the limited number of primary schools in the state.”