More than 400,000 students in South Sudan have dropped out of school since civil war broke out in mid-December 2013, Education Minister John Gai Yoh announced.

Yoh told reporters in Juba that the huge number of drop outs is due to the massive displacement of children from their homes, destruction of educational facilities, and occupation of schools by soldiers.

“Because of the conflict, we have got 400,000 children out of schools and for us to return them, it will take at least five years," Yoh said upon his return from Rwanda, where he attanded the Millennium Development Goals conference.

The minister stressed that in order to reverse the backslide education must be made attractive to both children and teachers.

"It is not a simple thing to do single-handedly," he said. "It requires collective work from the citizens to the government and the development partners in the region and at the international level."

Shortage of schools, salaries, and textbooks

According to the UN's humanitarian wing OCHA, 99 schools in South Sudan are occupied by armed groups or by displaced persons.

"The continued occupation of schools not only hinders access to education but also risks destruction of the school facilities," OCHA said in its weekly bulletin, linked for download below. "The poor disposal of shells in the affected schools will also exposes the children to UXOs when the schools reopen."

OCHA noted that teachers in some conflict affected areas are still not receiving their salaries which has also led to continued school closures. Schools especially in the Greater Upper Nile region also face a lack of access to text books and learning materials.