For many children in South Sudan, returning to school is far from guaranteed.
Years of civil conflict, repeated flooding, soaring prices and a collapsing economy have left the world’s youngest nation with one of the weakest education systems globally. Millions of children have never entered a classroom, while many schools operate without permanent buildings, clean water or trained teachers.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of General Education and Instruction ordered primary and secondary schools to reopen on February 2, 2026, seeking to stabilise an academic calendar long disrupted by funding shortages and logistical delays.
But as schools prepare to implement the directive, educators and parents warn that extreme heat, food shortages and deepening poverty could once again keep children out of class.
At Vision Bearers Academy Secondary School in Rock City, a suburb of Juba, enrolment is rising only slowly as households brace for one of the hottest months of the year amid a worsening cash crisis.
“The heatwave has been striking us for the past two years, especially in February and March,” said head teacher Kala Dickson. “Right now enrolment is coming in, but on a very slow basis. We are not expecting many learners at once.”
Calendar meets harsh reality
The government’s push for a February reopening aims to reduce chronic delays caused by late exam marking and result releases.
But teachers say many schools lack the infrastructure — shade, water and proper classrooms — needed to operate safely during extreme temperatures.
“We don’t have facilities like air conditioning, which would really help the learning environment,” Dickson told Radio Tamazuj. “So now it depends on the ministry either to push reopening back if the heat stays extreme, or we pray that the rains come early.”
February temperatures in parts of South Sudan often exceed 40 degrees Celsius, making lessons in metal-roofed classrooms nearly unbearable. Some education advocates have called for reforming the school calendar to better reflect climate realities.
To cope, Vision Bearers plans to shorten the school day.
“If the heatwave continues, learners will come as early as 6:00 am and leave by 11:30 am or noon,” Dickson said. “That’s the only way we can manage.”
But he warned the changes would come at a cost.
“If children are sent home halfway through the day, syllabus coverage will not be completed as expected,” he said.
Economic strain
The heat is compounded by an economic crisis marked by inflation, cash shortages and shrinking household incomes.
“The biggest challenge now is the liquidity crisis,” Dickson said. “Parents go to banks and cannot access cash. Even schools cannot access their money.”
For Proscovia Achar, a mother of three registering her children, the pressure is mounting.
“I have two children in secondary and one in primary,” she said. “I’ve come to register them, but I’m asking the school for more time. Things are not doing well.”
Rising prices weigh heavily on families’ decisions.
“The prices in the market are not stable — they increase every day,” Achar said. “A rim of paper that was 17,000 South Sudanese pounds is now 40,000. Shoes that used to cost 12,000 are now 51,000.”
She is also worried about her children’s health.
“I am concerned because of the heat,” she said. “Children need a lot of water for hydration.”
Aid groups warn of wider risks
Child-focused organisations warn that extreme heat could reduce attendance nationwide, especially among younger pupils.
“As the nation prepares for school reopening, the most imminent risk we foresee is extreme heat,” said Ojara George, Save the Children’s disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation specialist. “This has happened for the last two consecutive years and has disrupted learning across the country.”
Children under 10 are particularly vulnerable, he said, with many parents keeping them at home during peak temperatures.
“When children are not in class, they are exposed to early marriage, child labour, abuse and other dangers,” George added.
Save the Children and the education ministry say they have revised school construction guidelines to improve climate resilience.
“Going forward, schools will be built with heat resilience embedded in their design,” George said.
An uncertain term ahead
At Vision Bearers Academy, teachers are preparing to begin lessons, but uncertainty remains.
“Our teachers are under contract and ready to teach,” Dickson said. “But even our salaries are wired through banks, and accessing cash is difficult.”
As February begins, South Sudan’s official school calendar collides with harsh economic realities and rising temperatures.
“If the heat and economic crisis continue,” Dickson said, “this academic year will be very difficult — especially for the children.”