The floods in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area’s (GPAA) Pochalla South and North counties have destroyed several education facilities, forcing learners to be taught under trees.
County Education Director Moro Omot told Radio Tamazuj that schools have been operational for a week now after the floods receded.
He, however, pointed out that several pupils were learning and taking exams under trees after their classrooms collapsed in floodwaters.
“During the flooding in August, seven schools were shut down, affecting 1,538 pupils. Those primary schools are Oladi, Liec, Adongol, Obwodi, Ojangbayo, and Ajiengo,” he stated.
“Pupils have for a week now resumed classes and taken their exams and this will help us cover for the lost time because schools were closed for a month as the classrooms were occupied by the displaced residents during the flooding,” he explained.
The education official added that the challenge now is that many classrooms had collapsed, pointing out that three of them were in Okadi and Ajiengo schools, two in Liec and five in Adongol and Obwodi, leaving about 900 learners affected.
One pupil, Akello Omot, appealed to aid agencies to come to their aid.
“We lost everything in the floods and have now just resumed. We want the government and NGOs to provide us stationeries and build schools because when it rains, we all huddle in one classroom and no learning takes place,” she noted.
Pochalla South County Commissioner Otho Okoti Abich also appealed for aid, saying gains made in improving enrollment among female learners were under a threat.
“At least 1,538 pupils, including 689 females, were affected by the floods. For over a month, our pupils have not been learning, while schools in the rest of the country remained opened. There is little we can do as a government without support from our partners,” he said.