South Sudan Faces Massive School Dropout
Across South Sudan, more than 2.8 million school-age children—over 70 percent—are out of class. Humanitarian observers warn that conflict, displacement and hardship threaten to deprive a generation of the skills needed for national reconstruction.
Poverty Drives Children Into Labor
World Vision officer Sarah Naduru told Eye Radio that parents struggling to feed their families often send children to work in homes, markets or fields. “Parental poverty remains the leading driver,” she emphasized during the Sundown show.
Cultural Norms Deepen the Crisis
Family separation after years of conflict intensifies risk. Communal farming, deeply rooted in some rural traditions, expects children to participate during planting and harvest, often at the expense of lessons. Peer influence normalizes prolonged absence from school.
Experts Demand Economic Solutions
Child-protection specialist Malish Obede argues that addressing root economic causes could “significantly reduce” child labor. He urges wider community awareness of education rights, noting that many guardians overlook their legal and moral duty to keep youngsters in class.
State Drafts Policies to Protect Youth
Central Equatoria State’s gender director, Augustino Ayeko, says officials are finalizing measures to dismantle barriers to schooling. “Transformation takes time and careful planning,” he notes, adding that the package will also confront rising drug abuse among youth.