Literacy and Livelihoods in Adult Education and Development No 58

Abstract

This is a report on a needs assessment on formal and non-formal education in South Sudan which was conducted in 2003 in three regions of South Sudan: Equatoria, Upper Nile and Bahr el Ghazal. The objectives of the needs assessment were to: • assess and analyze various distance education models with a view to recommending the most appropriate model to inform program development and delivery options; • identify learner needs of adults and out of school youth and make recommendations for delivery options and program interventions. Key Findings of the study regarding the Teacher Education Programme included: • The majority of teachers at primary and secondary school level are untrained. • Very few teachers have completed secondary school and the majority have low academic qualifications. • There are extremely few women teachers in the system. • Distance education is not well established in all regions in South Sudan, although there is a strong desire for it. • The implementation of distance education programmes and activities face major constraints due to a lack of resources and equipment. • Many learners felt it would be difficult to study in groups at the community level since there are no centers where this can be done. • School attendance and retention is unstable due to poor teacher motivation, inability of parents to pay fees, household food insecurity and long distances to walk to school. • There is a dearth of suitable and appropriate educational resources, equipment and materials for learners at primary and secondary school levels. Regarding the Non-formal Education Programme it was found that: • There is a lack of non-formal education programmes in the South Sudan. • There is urgent need to re-integrate child soldiers and afford them educational opportunities. • There are major constraints facing the implementation of non-formal education programmes, including a lack of educational materials, need for adult education teachers and proper learning environment. • There is urgent need to attract and keep girls in school as well as in non-formal education programmes. • Women constitute only 25% of the learners in adult literacy classes. • Although income generating activities are operational, respondents reported a lack of managerial and technical skills to make their micro-enterprise activities successful.