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WESTERN EQUATORIA, South Sudan, 20 January 2012 - Education is a key priority for the government of the world's newest nation, South Sudan. Sixty-four per cent of children aged 6 to 11 are out of school, and the primary school completion rate is only 10 per cent, among the lowest in the world. Gender equality is also a huge challenge, with only 37 per cent of girls aged 6 to 13 attending school. Still, thanks to the efforts of dedicated teachers, accelerated learning programmes and children's clubs, there have been encouraging developments in girls' education over the past year.

Although over one million primary-school age children are out of school and secondary education enrolment is one of the lowest in the world, South Sudan has also made progress in education since the peace settlement in 2005.  The governments is initiating key reforms, notably standardizing the primary school curriculum and syllabus and rationalizing the public sector payroll.

Much of the literature surrounding education in emergencies focuses on the impact of armed conflict on children. Surprisingly little focuses explicitly on teachers, and yet it is commonly acknowledged that the biggest influences on the education a child receives are the knowledge, skills and attitudes of their teacher. Through field research from Kenya, South Africa and Uganda, the study examines the role and status of teachers in emergencies. It identifies the issues refugee teachers face and makes recommendations on how policy can better address their particular needs and protect their rights, and thus improve access to and quality of education to populations affected by an emergency. The research findings also include data on South Sudan and the status of teachers returning there from exile.

Ministry of Peace in Sudan; empowering women

Eight teachers tell us about the progress of education in their country, what they see as the biggest challenges for African teachers and students - and their hopes for the future