19 February 2015 - The South Sudanese government and people must double efforts to make illiteracy history, President Salva Kiir said in Juba today as he launched a “Back to Learning Campaign”.

The $42 million campaign is a joint initiative between the Ministry of Education, UNICEF and other partners. It is aimed at giving more than 400,000 children whose schooling was interrupted by ongoing conflict in the country a chance to return to their studies over the next year.

Noting that he was aware many children in the country were failing to attend school because of the conflict, President Kiir called for peace.

“We fought for 37 years in order to give children a brighter future,” he said. “Now that we are independent, it is your duty to learn and build this land of abundance.”

The president commended development partners for their hard work and contributions towards developing South Sudan.

Present at the launch were Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and UNMISS chief Ellen Loej, heads of UN agencies and diplomatic missions and representatives of development partners.

Also present were hundreds of children from Juba schools and members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army’s Tiger Battalion, who are currently enrolled for alternative education to compensate for years they lost in education during war.

“I am deeply concerned that the education of this generation of children has been affected by the conflict,” said Ms. Loej. “I bring to your attention the regretful fact that a third of the schools in conflict states are now closed. This is unacceptable.”

The SRSG said it was vital to ensure all South Sudanese children had equal access to resources, including education. “The future of South Sudan lies in the education of its children,” she said, describing education as the path to peace and development.

Central Equatoria State Deputy Governor Manase Lomole Waya called on leaders at all levels to “take education seriously and own the learning process of the nation if it is to succeed.”

A press release issued by UNICEF after the launch revealed that the campaign would reach out-of-school children in all 10 states, including areas currently engulfed in conflict.

“For those sheltering in camps for internally displaced people or in host communities devastated by the war, where no education services are available, UNICEF and partners will provide a comprehensive package of education support for children aged three to 18 years of age,” the release said.

“This will include pre-school and basic education, catch-up programmes for adolescents and psychosocial support in the classrooms,” it added.

Noting that the war had compounded an already weak education system, UNICEF Country Representative Jonathan Veitch stressed that education was a critical human right and the most important element for a country to develop economically, socially and culturally.

He said the campaign had invested heavily in supplies and learning but would need an additional $12 million to provide basic education kits to target schools.

“This initiative will invest $100 in every child’s learning,” said Mr. Veitch, “It’s a small cost for the hope and opportunity it brings.”