The Director of Education in Rumamer county, Abyei Administrative Area, Santino Aleu Madut, on Thursday said he had directed teachers in the county to prepare for the reopening of schools.
This comes after South Sudan council of ministers approved the reopening of schools on Friday last week.
The decision to let learners return to schools has received mixed reactions from people in Abyei. Speaking during Good morning Abyei show on Abyei FM on Thursday, some parents welcomed the move, saying some schoolgirls have ended up in marriages during the period schools were closed.
In contrast, others preferred delaying the resumption of classes till early next year, arguing it that the yearly school calendar is almost to its end.
Learning facilities that became bushy during the closure are seen being cleaned ahead of the to-be-announced date of unlocking classrooms that have been closed since March.
Save the Children, an international humanitarian non-governmental organization supporting children, applauded the South Sudan government’s decision to reopen learning facilities across saying, it puts a smile on the faces of 2.2 million children whose education was interrupted by the pandemic.
However, the Country Director of Save the Children in South Sudan, Rama Hansraj said “we urge the government to ensure that these children who are out of school are mobilized to resume their education and to put in place the necessary health guidance to ensure that children, teachers and their parents are protected from potential risks pose by the COVID-19.”
As of Wednesday, South Sudan had 2,594 confirmed cases of COVID-19 including 49 deaths while the global infections stood at 29,444,198-out of which 931,321 are fatalities, according to World Health Organization.