A stakeholders’ forum seeking to improve the quality of primary and secondary education concluded in Western Lakes State last Friday.
More than 40 teachers and civil society members attended the forum organized by Disabled Agency for Rehabilitation Development (DARD) with support from Democracy International (DI).
Manyang Aruor Yuol, the director in the Labour and Public Service ministry, said the forum provided avenues to discuss the factors affecting education.
“These are the things we deliberated on and the forum was very conducive, interactive and educative. We, in fact, came out with some recommendations like the forum be carried out monthly. We outlined some of the factors affecting primary education in South Sudan and Western Lakes State in particular,” he said.
Manyang said the forum cited cultural dances as one of the major causes of hatred and conflicts among the students in schools.
He urged parents not to relent in supporting children in schools. The official urged students who dropped out of school to enroll for vocational training courses to enable them become self-reliant.
"These vocational training centers are reliable places where children come and acquire skills,” he said.
Majak Cholic Aleyou, the lead facilitator, said the government should train primary and secondary school teachers. "At primary and secondary levels, most students finish their studies without performing practical work in class. It is an opportunity for government to provide apparatus to students in secondary schools so that those studying science subjects can be able to perform experiments,” he said.
Majak cited inter-communal violence and exam malpractices as some of the key issues affecting the education sector in the state.