South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir directed relevant government ministries to ensure that primary and secondary education is free throughout the country.This news could benefit millions of children in South Sudan, but it will need to be followed up with adequate resources and genuine steps for it to make a difference, says Human Rights Watch in a statement on Tuesday. 

”School tuition and fees constitute one of the most common, although not the only, barrier for South Sudanese children to realise their right to education. An estimated 2.8 million children are not attending primary or secondary school, a shocking 70 percent of all school-age children in the country” said the statement.

South Sudan’s constitution already guarantees all children free and compulsory primary education and free illiteracy eradication programs and extending it to include secondary schooling will offer millions of children life-long benefits, it added.

Secondary education, including technical and vocational training, can empower young people with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive and contribute to their communities. 

”South Sudan also deserves praise as one of the six African countries with laws protecting pregnant girls’ right to stay in school or resume education after giving birth. However, girls remain less likely to enter school, attend secondary school, and complete secondary education than boys” the statement said.

Human Rights Watch also urged the government to ensure that children with disabilities­ – who often face stigma, discrimination, and abuse at school – are not left behind. 

”It will need to enhance the capacity of teachers and ensure their adequate and timely compensation. It should also fully implement the Safe Schools Declaration, which it endorsed in 2015, promising to protect schools from attack and military use, and to fast-track efforts to end recruitment and use of children by armed groups” the Washington-based rights watchdog added.

It said by expanding free education, South Sudan is headed in the right direction, one that improves the country’s prospects for sustainable development.