Press release

UNESCO-MoGEI Partnership for Education on Air in South Sudan

Exchange of Partnership Agreement between UNESCO and Ministry of General Education and Instruction

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15 June 2020

Last update:20 April 2023

Over 91% of the world’s student population are currently affected by school closures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. In South Sudan, school closures are impacting 2-million school age learners.

In this context, the Ministry of General Education and Instruction (MoGEI) in partnership with development partners including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has launched the “Education on Air” radio programme targeting primary and secondary level to continue offering learning opportunities for children and youth without any interruption caused by closure of schools.

To achieve concrete results and to strengthen the Government’s response efforts to COVID 19’s impact on education, UNESCO and MoGEI have signed a partnership agreement for a period of six months. This partnership aims to provide technical and financial support to the Ministry to strengthen the capacity of teachers to deliver radio education programmes, develop and air sessions on self-learning methods for children and youth and radio sessions, particularly for secondary level students on English, Science and Mathematics. The partnership also aims to provide technical support for the development of the COVID 19 Education Response Plan and guidelines on re-opening schools.

During the event to announce the partnership, Mr. Julius Banda, Country Representative and Head of UNESCO Office South Sudan congratulated the Ministry leadership in making sure that the country’s 2- million students continue to learn during the crisis by mobilizing development partners and ensuring the right to education for children and youth during this difficult situation. He further committed UNESCO’s support to the Ministry to safeguard inclusive and equitable quality education during the COVID-19 period and beyond by mobilizing national, regional and global capacity including technical support from the Global Education Coalition.

The closure of schools should not mean the end of education for our children. Introduction of the “Education on Air” programme is timely as we tirelessly work towards meeting the growing education demands posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Honorable Martin Tako Moyi, Deputy Minister, Ministry of General Education and Instruction of South

The “Education on Air” programme is aimed at ensuring that all school age going children both girls and boys, still access quality education even when schools are currently closed down. To ensure that all schoolchildren are reached through the radio programme, the Deputy Minister urged development partners to continue supporting the programme by providing radio sets for households that still lack a radio. He concluded that the Ministry of General Education is committed and keen to ensuring access to quality education for all.

This partnership programme is implemented under UNESCO’s Capacity Development for Education (CapED) Programme supported by Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Dubai Cares.