Who Gets to Go to School in Sudan

Country

Sudan

Located near the north-eastern corner of the continent, the Republic of the Sudan shares borders with seven other African countries in the North and the sub-Sahara. Until the partition of its southern half in July 2011, which led to the birth of South Sudan, the country was the most geographically diverse and largest state in Africa. Though acceding to southern independence, various outstanding issues with South Sudan fester, especially regarding the matter of shared oil revenues and border demarcation. In addition, Sudan is still beset by conflict stemming from unrest in the western region of Darfur.

source(s): UNESCO EFA Global Monitoring Report 2013/14

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Main Barriers to Education

• Refugee Status
• Poverty
• Lack of Learning Materials

Interventions to Barriers

• Teacher Training
• Provision of Learning Materials
• Construction/Rehabilitation of Classrooms

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In signalling its support for EFA, the Government of Sudan (GOS) has recognised education as a right for all of its citizens and guarantees access to free basic education. Furthermore, the GOS considers the realisation of EFA in the country as completely commensurate with the achievement of socio-economic stability. As part of its efforts to bolster the education sector, the government has introduced the Interim Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP). The ESSP highlights three strategic pillars: 1) improving access to schooling for all, including pre-school, basic and secondary education; 2) improving quality of schooling at all levels; and 3) strengthening the institutional capacity of the education system.

Despite the political will on the part of the government to increase quality and access, the education sector is challenged by serious shortcomings. For instance, as of 2013, under 60 per cent of Sudanese children who enrol at the primary level, ultimately complete the cycle. Moreover, public expenditure on education as a share of the country's GDP has stagnated at just above two per cent since 2008.

To address these issues, EAC has partnered with UNICEF and UNHCR to increase education access to OOSC in Sudan through respective initiatives. Separately, UNICEF and UNHCR will focus on reaching children in the country's most marginalised, refugee and internally displaced communities. Specific project interventions include: training for pre-/in-service teachers; sensitisation campaigns; provision of teaching and learning materials; implementing accelerated-learning classes for overage children; designing and administering a PTA loan and saving programme; and conducting a national study on refugee OOSC.

Geographic Location: North Africa

Languages: Arabic (official), English (official), Fur, Nubian, Ta Bedawie

SOURCE: BBC

Projects

Educate A Child Partnership

Successfully Completed Project

Educate A Child (EAC) has partnered with UNHCR to bring quality primary education to refugee children in 12 priority countries.

Enabling, Encouraging & Excelling

As the global refugee protection agency, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is responsible for ensuring that refugee children have access to quality education in their countries of asylum. There are over 2.7 million refugee children out of school in 12 targeted project countries.

Partners

UNHCR

EAC partnership with UNHCR will ensure quality education for over 448,000 refugee children. UNHCR and EAC's shared commitment to children in the most extreme circumstances help to ensure that all children in crisis situations have the opportunity to gain from the benefits of basic education.

UNICEF

EAC and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) are partnering in Chad, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen to bring quality basic education to over 3.3 million children.

Who Gets to Go to School in Sudan

Source: https://educateachild.org/our-partners-projects/country/sudan