Government to increase education budget to meet 2030 SDG target

The Vice President for Service Cluster, Hussein Abdelbagi Akol has revealed the transitional unity government’s plans to increase annual budgetary allocation for education sector from eight to 20 percent.

 “I focused my remarks on expediting the proposed 20 percent increase of education budget between now and 2030 before commencing countrywide recruitment of qualified teachers for effective learning,” Akol said while addressing the transforming Education Summit during the opening of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Monday.

The government allocated 107.8 million South Sudanese Pounds for education in the 2022/23 fiscal budget.

Akol said that the increase will push South Sudan c loser to meeting the Sustainable Development Goal 4 on universal, inclusive, and equitable basic education for all school-age children.

He said the government will increase access to education for more than 2.8 million children out of school.

He disclosed that the lack of public investment in education is contributing to the critical shortage of qualified teachers in the country.

An estimated 62 percent of primary teachers and 44 percent of secondary school teachers are not qualified.

A sizable number of teachers have over the years been absconding from duty due to low remuneration which is often unpaid for months.

“We are advancing school enrollment rate, especially for girls as we strive for an inclusive education capable of giving us the transformed generation that we want through framing stronger educational policies and national curriculum,” Akol said.

Millions of children have been pushed out of school due to combination of conflict, hunger and heavy flooding, according to the Un Children’s Fund (UNICEF).