South Sudan education minister visits Northern Bahr el Ghazal to address pressing issues

JUBA – South Sudan’s Minister of General Education & Instructions, Awut Deng Acuil, visited arrived in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State’s capital Aweil to discuss education challenges with local government officials.

Governor Tong Aken Ngor welcomed the national minister upon arrival at the Aweil Airport where the later spoke to the press about her visit’s goals.

“I am here to follow up on topics discussed at the Aweil education conference last year,” Achuil said, highlighting the need to implement policies like mandatory education for all school-age children.

She emphasized the importance of assessing infrastructure for conducive learning environments and urged parents to prioritize sending their children to school despite economic hardships.

Teacher salary delays, a major concern in the state, were reportedly among the topics expected to be discussed in meetings with education officials and the government.

Some speculated the visit was prompted by a recent teacher strike over salary cuts and subsequent arrests by state police.

“The minister is here to understand the situation on the ground,” said a teacher who wished to remain anonymous. “Many schools are closed due to issues like salary deductions and delays.”

The impact of Acuil’s visit on the deteriorating conditions faced by teachers remains to be seen.