Free Education Faces Test as Canal Primary Struggles with Leaking Classrooms

By Simon Deng

Following the Ministry of General Education and Instruction’s rollout of free education in 2023, Canal Primary School in Pigi County, Jonglei State, is facing a significant challenge: its classrooms leak during rain, disrupting learning for hundreds of pupils.

Thon Gieth Dau, an English Language and Christian Religious Education teacher who has taught Primary 5 and Primary 7 at Canal Primary for over five years, stated that his school, one of the oldest in Pigi County, is in a state of collapse.

“The serious problem is the classrooms. We have eight streams, and about seven classes have damage that causes them to leak during the rains. We only have one classroom, and when it rains, we have to use it as a crowded shelter,” Dau said in an interview.

“As teachers, we have suffered. The classrooms are not usable during rain, and children are sent home because if we keep them in school, they will be unable to write; their exercise books will get wet, damaging them,” Dau explained.

Dau urged both the state and national governments to invest in school infrastructure, emphasising that skipping classes due to rain affects the timeline for completing the syllabus as prescribed by the Ministry of General Education and Instruction.

“We call for the repair of classrooms to enhance the smooth operation of the school, especially during the rainy season. Additionally, teachers receive no support; sometimes they leave school to find daily earnings, which disrupts teaching,” he said.

Dau revealed that teachers sometimes go for up to six months without receiving their salaries. He added that government-owned schools do not charge fees, which could be used to cover operational costs.

“There are many challenges. Some children come from long distances, especially from areas like Achap Alnil, where we have a large population. They have to cross streams, and when it rains, it becomes difficult,” he stated.

“The school is made of temporary shelters, and the classrooms exceed the normal limit of 45 pupils. Children are eager to continue their studies, but the lack of infrastructure is discouraging, especially during extreme weather events,” he said.

Suleiman Deng Thon, the county commissioner for Pigi County, reiterated that Canal Primary School has collapsed, adding that the situation is particularly dire for both pupils and teachers during the rainy season.

“As we speak, the condition of the classrooms is very poor; all the classes lack adequate infrastructure, and all the school buildings leak. When it rains, the only option is to stop classes until the rain stops. That is the situation,” Thon explained.

According to a visiting delegation from Save the Children, South Sudan is significantly affected by numerous challenges, including a lack of infrastructure, which hinders development.

“Challenges vary across different parts of the country, with infrastructure issues making development difficult. We saw the impact on education; education is crucial for developing a young country like South Sudan, but unfortunately, many children are out of school and often on the streets,” the delegation stated at a press conference held in Juba.

Despite 85 percent access to Primary 1 being registered in 2021, universal access to primary education remains a challenge in South Sudan, characterised by high dropout rates.

Alier Kuol, a 16-year-old pupil in Primary 8 at Canal Primary, stated that although all subjects, including Science, Social Studies, and Christian Religious Education, are well-taught, rain severely interrupts their studies.

“Education is quite good, but the school has numerous challenges, ranging from a lack of desks and scholastic materials to damaged classrooms that leak significantly during the rainy season,” Kuol said.

“We request that our classrooms be repaired; they are all damaged. When it rains, the classrooms leak, and as soon as the rain starts, we have to disperse home. Whenever there is heavy rain, that definitely means there is no school,” he concluded.

Riang Yuang Malek, the Education Supervisor in Pigi County, stated that schools across the county are affected by poor infrastructure, with classrooms leaking during rain, often leading to disruptions in learning.

“Education is satisfactory, but we have issues with poor infrastructure. The schools need renovation, and education in Pigi County is very weak due to security concerns, especially the lack of classrooms,” said Malek.

“We have reported the issue of poor infrastructure to the state education authorities. The Ministry of General Education and Instruction at both the state and national levels needs to support the renovation of schools,” he added.