Accelerated Learning Program Launch in Lakes State
Forty-two teachers from Rumbek East and Yirol West gathered at Bros Hotel this week as South Sudan’s State Minister for General Education, Nelson Makoi Makur, launched a ten-day Accelerated Learning Program aimed at raising classroom standards province-wide.
Makur told reporters that every citizen deserves ‘inclusive, quality schooling’ and said the ALP offers a second chance to learners who left primary school without certificates, including girls and people living with disabilities.
Government Backs Inclusive Education
The minister’s remarks align with Juba’s broader commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 4, which calls for equitable access to lifelong learning. Officials argue that empowering teachers is the fastest route to improved literacy rates across the country’s ten states.
Christopher Athian Door, representing the national ministry, described teachers as ‘the most resilient members of our society’ and urged them to plan lessons meticulously so that students secure recognised certificates.
Inside the 10-Day Intensive Training
Over the next ten days, facilitators will guide educators through learner-centred methods, assessment techniques and the new ALP guidebooks. Sessions start at dawn and run into late afternoon, mirroring the packed schedules teachers will later manage in rural classrooms.
Project manager Abraham Mabior Rioc confirmed that similar workshops will be repeated annually until 2028, ensuring continuous professional development for more cohorts in Lakes State and beyond.
UNICEF and GPE Funding Framework
The initiative is financed jointly by UNICEF and the Global Partnership for Education, whose grants focus on post-conflict recovery and resilience. Their backing covers training materials, accommodation, and teacher allowances, allowing the national ministry to concentrate on curriculum quality.
Local officials say community support remains vital. County education offices in Rumbek and Yirol have arranged transport and mobilised chiefs to encourage aspiring learners to enrol once trained teachers return.
Prospects for Learners Left Behind
UN data indicate that nearly one third of South Sudanese children are out of school. Authorities hope the refreshed ALP model will provide an attainable pathway to primary certification and, eventually, to secondary or vocational options.
Observers will monitor retention rates and exam scores over the coming three-year cycle. For now, participants left the hotel with guidebooks under their arms and a sense of purpose echoed in Makur’s closing words: ‘Teachers transform the face of society’.