It’s all about building positive education in greater Aweil
By Kuc Majok Kuc
Brief History of Aweil educational background.
Education through out history….. Early stone age, ancient time, medieval, renascence and up to the present modern history, education was generally viewed as the backbone of every developing community or nation. Thus, most of the prosperous communities or nations to day have exerted much effort and paid considerable attention to the development of educational industry in their own communities or nations. The scientific progression and field research were perfectly employed. Nevertheless, effort, time, money and critical evaluation were the bases for critical educational work.
In addition, much time, wealth and natural resources had been used, and put in place without limits, in order to achieve ultimate glorious goals. No people or community on this earth achieved rapid progress and thorough development without educational planning. So, where’s Aweil position here in this arena? However, in this humble article, I would like to focus this essay to the process of educational industry in greater Aweil through out the ages. I may humbly compare, contrast, quote or criticize…..So, please do bear with me and don’t get mad! This is because critical evaluation sometimes breaks the bound and exceeds limits or sometimes become harsh. I may also give suggestions, plans, or solutions, but I don’t intend to target anyone, institution or an individual.
Nonetheless, educational development and its process in Aweil could be divided in to three.1-The colonial period. 2- Early 60s to early 80s, as well the liberation period from 83 to 2005. Lastly, the future prospective of educational envision in the state. While trying to retrieve Aweil educational data from authentic institutions and reliable sources I found none. It was so sad because no data exist elsewhere! Lastly, and in order to get authentic information and collect reliable data, I indulged into Gurtong.net, but to my surprise, Aweil educational data doesn’t exist , while all southern states data do exist! I don’t know whose fault is it? Is it Aweil educated class fault? Or the ministry of education fault? I do advise ministry of education to provide data to authentic institutions for such data helps researchers, who may develop interest to know educational process in Greater Aweil.
Pre-colonial period was the dark stone age of the whole southern Sudan. In the colonial period, Aweil was the last place to receive education, which shows why Aweil is still lacking behind everybody! Education those days was a church business, so there was no significant progress achieved. Mathiang seemed to be the first government primary school in the early fifties. Some came next, until the number became six in early sixties. Aweil intermediate emerged in early sixties and Nymlell secondary school in early eighth.
First, pre-colonial era has no place in modern south Sudan history. Therefore, the information we shall explored will be derived from colonial period. Aweil as we’ve
All known was the last place to receive educational service in the whole southern Sudan.
The colonial educational services were moving from south to north. This simple fact shows why Aweil couldn’t be compared to other areas in south Sudan. But, categorically,
Did Aweilian work hard in the last sixty years to bridge the gap and compete at the regional level? Definitely no, because our elders never have the will to do so! From 1936-to early 60s, Aweil had only 6 elementary schools, which were combination of churches and government schools.
Second: The period from (60s-80s), was the promising period for Aweil. Aweil at that time acquired 15 primary schools: one intermediate in early 60s and a secondary school in early 80s.Those numbers of schools I’ve just mentioned were not even enough for the population of Aweil. However, to be clear, Aweilian have neither exerted effort
Nor built schools based on self reliance like the equatorials or Dinka Bor.I could remember in the year 1975, when I was traveling to Juba via Azandi road. While our car was heading the road ---and in the morning hours, one could see a mop of children moving along the road going to schools in that thick bushes of equatorial. I learned later that, those schools were built every five miles along wau – Juba road. In asking some
Residents from the area about that wonderful arrangements, you could be informed that – all those schools were built on self reliance--- while Aweilian are sitting there
complaining of mischievous and bad treatment. Hence, Aweilian didn’t take trouble to
build private schools (Although “Chief Abdul Bagi Ayei” has tried, but neither one cooperate nor stood by his side). However, the situation remains like that until revolution broke out in 1983.
Third: The period from (1983 -2005) was the dark and the most destructive period of all. Most of the educational infrastructures had been totally destroyed. The education digressed, the number shrank and no significant progress made. In order to survive, some schools have occupied shadows of big trees as classrooms, which in fact, did not provide adequate educational atmosphere .The education in Aweil frost, but it flourished in other areas of south Sudan. Some elders of some well to do communities adopted unforeseen policies.” They collected a child from each household and transport them across the
brandies to get education in refuge camps.” You all know which community did that? But Aweil leaders were there sitting and complaining as usual of mischievous and depravity.
Fourth: At the present time, Aweil has about 20 basic education schools. On the other hand, those limited numbers of schools lacks a lot of fundamental resources. The old buildings, which survived the war still, need renovation, but none was done? There are no desks, text books, laboratories and above all, no qualified teachers. “Bravo Bantiu education policy” You can argue that it was because of the 2% oil development budget…But, I think it’s about proper educational management, because Upper Nile state has the same 2% but failed to come up with the same plan. However, teachers need intensive training before dispatched to schools. Recruiting teachers should be accompanied with placement test and only those who pass the exam should be hired. Leniency in recruitment, and hiring of non qualified teachers could result into failure of the whole educational process.
Lastly: Education future prospective:
The Basic education policy:
Future education prospective should be the corner stone for our educational policies. In this humble essay, I do appreciate and support the policy of combining both elementary and intermediate into one basic education unit. It was the most practical educational policy introduced by the Sudanese education authority. This practical step could rapidly spread literacy among the population and eliminate the unwelcome policy of drop out. The graduates of basic education would be educationally well off: possess much and better knowledge compare to their prodecessors. It would also make it is easy to provide high school education. It would also make it easy to spread higher education systems, such as academic institutions, agriculture education, commercial and technical schools. But the most urgent and needed institutions at present time are vocational training centers.
Basic vocational training centers100%
Although I’ve just put this institution in the tail of the priorities, yet it’s the most important of them all. It’s a short range education system, aim at providing technicians in short term program. Its mission is to create skillful technicians in order to provide experts to handle development. Such institutions are always “open door institutions” They accommodate applicants regardless of age and school performance perquisite. However, there’re a lot of kids, who became over age, some were forced to leave school during the civil war or street children who’re dismayed by the realities of daily life. To clarify my point of view, we’re developing communities and need trained apprentice, who would come quickly and start making a rapid input in development. The need of qualified teachers is a perquisite, which obliged us to open one teacher institute to step up training teachers. The state also is in great need of accountants, so a commercial school is needed. Also, the need for agriculture experts is priority. So we need to have agriculture school. The last thing is technical school, which is the most precious institution which provides technicians. Etc….Hence, to be plain and clear, I suggest Education in Aweil to follow or advocate the following patterns. Aweil education should be based on the
followings .Each institution should have a fixed intake of 20%.High School 20%; Teachers institution 20%, agriculture school 20%, commercial 20% and finally technical school 20%
High schools 20%.
Aweil at present time has two high schools; one of them is a private catholic school. It’s of course a private high school that doesn’t admit poor children, who don’t have private financial resources. Of course, no room for poor kids! The other high school is Nyamlell High school, which is occupying the old building of Aweil Intermediate facilities in the center of the town.This school building has never been renovated; no text books, no desks, no labs and lacks qualified teachers. However, Aweil as a state lacks the most specialized educational instutions, which are needed for a rapid development in the state. Thus, the old policies, which were based only on creating academic high schools was a complete disaster, because the students who don’t make it to universities end up going no where, but lingering the streets, which is suicidal. So, it’s the right time to adopt new fresh policies. Therefore, we need to open more specialized institutions as I’ve just mentioned above. We could put in consideration the need for technicians, because we’re developing community, and above all, we’re starting from the scratch. Academic schools however, are the cheapest institutions to be opened, if compared to technical institutions. This cheap policy shows why all the ministers of educations choose only to open high schools, neglecting specialized schools instead. Moreover, statistics has shown that it’s easy to run high schools with non qualified teachers, which develop mysterious consequences. If the child failed to make it to the university, he would end up in the street and become unable to find a job. He could not be hired, because he has no apprentice and no skills for employment. The child situation develops into a bottle neck trap. Those students are left out in this world on their own; stuck in the mud and do not know how to move an inch and start in life!
Teacher’s institute 20%
Recruiting non-qualified and non skillful teachers… Those who mostly failed in high school or high school dropout. Such group does not make good teachers. The failures and dropouts students could not contribute positively to the learning process and achieve the task in a well to do manner. So, opening teacher institute in Aweil is the short cut to recruiting qualified teachers. However, establishing and equipping teachers’ institute is a bit expensive, but it has rewarding fruit. It can produce successful teachers, whom we can trust and count upon to educate our kids.
Agriculture institute: 20%
Aweil is well known of its fertile land, large swamp, good agriculture soil: But lack agriculture experts. This is the actual problem that faces the inhabitance of Aweil.We need to graduate agriculture experts, whom we can count upon locally. They will then train our community. Such agriculture school can develop its strategy to produce agriculture cash crops, which can sustain the income of our citizens and promote better social economic strategy. This institute can generate fund from selling products cultivated by students as part of field work and training goals.
Technical institute 20%
Aweil is a developing and a promising state, which needs technicians in the field to deal with infrastructure. This institute can produce surveyors, carpenters, welders, builders, painters and a bunch of skillfull apprentice, who will contribute positively to the construction and development of the state. Such institution is very expensive to maintain, expensive to run, and expensive to be equipped with tools and machines. It can generate income to the ministry of education from students training and performances. In addition, this institution can finance itself as well the ministry of education. You generate tobenefit?
Commercial school: 20%
Aweil needs highly qualified accountants, bookkeepers, financial consultant, marketing experts and management skills. Such institute can be a real asset to the people of Aweil. Aweil in a long run may need skills that will manage its financial affairs and create jobs to the citizens. It’s better to keep those positions in the state instead of importing skillful employees from outside the state. Sorry, I’m not prejudicing, but jobs are supposed to be kept to the state citizens.
To conclude, I hope this humble contribution contributes to the whole process of education in our state and should not be misunderstood and twisted. I’m ready to be corrected for the benefit of the reader………No grudges please! See you in my next article.
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