More resources need to be invested to educate people of South Sudanese as the literacy rate is very low, said UN education and cultural agency.
UNESCO representative in South Sudan, Sardar Umar Alam, said the illiteracy in the country is 73 percent and it is one of the highest in the world.
Alam called the donors and government to invest more in the sector that has been largely under-funded compared to other sectors.
An appeal is made for investment hike as education can be a solution for economic development, prosperity of the community and peace development too.
The ongoing civil war in the country has led to students to remain at home. A data reveals about 1.8 million school-going children are out of school.
Alam said providing education services is also challenging to the children as about 3.8 million people either live as refugees or are displaced.
South Sudan is second after Liberia in the world with highest proportion out-of-school children.
Ministry of education data reveals in the fiscal year 2017-18 only 9 million USD fund was allocated for education and the amount is even less than 10 percent stipulated by law.
According to Minister of General Education, Deng Deng Hoc Yai, the allocated fund is not enough to offer quality education to all the children across the country and so alternative fund is required to increase strength of teachers.
Currently there are only 40,000 teachers in South Sudan.
However, the minister adds government has developed a five-year plan to improve quality as well as access of education in the country.
Yai added further, “In order for us to change the current situation, we need every individual in the country to take literacy and education generally seriously.”
