The Kuei Modern Primary School has one teacher, no walls, and no roof, but 200 students go there every day to learn because there is no other school around.
Teacher James Akuei Machar opened the ‘school’ in January when he discovered there was no place of learning for the thousands of children living in Kuei, a swampy area north of Mathiang boma in Baidit Payam in Jonglei state’s Bor County.
“I finished up three years ago. I saw these people, they had no school. I volunteered myself,” Akuei told Radio Tamazuj. He said there were two other teachers for a time, but now it is just him teaching the children who are in primary one and two.
Akuei is like many teachers around South Sudan who work as volunteers without receiving any official salary.
He holds class under trees because despite the school’s name there are no permanent facilities. “Sometimes if there is rain we can go inside of the church,” he said. Akuei added that his students also lack basic materials such as books.
One of the students benefiting from Akuei’s school is a twelve-year-old boy named Mach in primary two. Mach told Radio Tamazuj that his father pledged to pay the 50 South Sudan Pound school fee charged by Akuei. The boy said he loves being in a learning environment.
“The only problem is that the rains come and we have no classroom buildings to shelter in, it is only in the church building,” Mach said.
Most students missing out
Mach is one of the lucky ones. Kuei village has a population of about 4000 people, roughly half of whom are children. That means up to 1800 young people are missing out on their education in the village.
One such child is a ten-year-old girl named Anai. She blamed her parents for her lack of education, saying they have not provided money for her to be in school.
“50 pounds is needed in school but my mother said there is no money, leave the school,” Anai told Radio Tamazuj. “Then I left it and now I will stay [at home].”
Anai said there is nothing she can do but just wait until she becomes mature and gets married.
Another girl in Akuei said her father invests all his money from selling fish on cows so that her brother will get married, leaving her without any education.
“Father said when the marriage is done, I will go to school,” she said.
No government help
Teacher Akuei claimed the state government knows about the education situation in Kuei, but has not improved the area.
The lack of government action is despite an initiative recently announced by Jonglei’s University of Dr John Garang. The University pledged to build basic primary schools in swampy areas across Jonglei State and to provide teachers to the schools.
The project included the State Ministry of Education and international charities like UNICEF and Save the Children. Funds were generated, but no improvements have reached Kuei, and it is unclear if any implementation has been done anywhere.
Radio Tamazuj was unable to reach the University of Dr. John Garang for a comment on the story. When reached, Jonglei State education minister Susan Lith Aluong declined to comment because she was out of the country.
Akuei thinks the village was missed because there are two villages called “Kuei” in Jonglei state.
“They didn’t come because we have two Kuei in Bor County; this Kuei is under Baidit Payam and there is another Kuei in Jalle Payam…maybe they will come next time,” Akuei said.
With their children seemingly left behind, the local community has begun taking up the task to build a school.
“The community leaders, they are contributing something to build up small classroom until the government comes, or if there are NGOs we can request the NGOs to help us,” Akuei said.
Students learn in the open (Alamy stock footage)