Education in South
Sudan: investing in a better future
A review by Gordon Brown
Cover image: A boy listens to his teacher during a lesson at the improvised Hai Kugi School on the outskirts of Juba, South Sudan. © UNESCO /M. Hofer (2011) ure ure Educationbetter in ininvesting a South fut Sudan:
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Education in South Sudan: investing in a better future
A review by Gordon Brown
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Contents
Glossary 5 Acknowledgements 6 Foreword: South Sudan – time to act 7 Executive Summary 11 1. An education system under pressure 18 2. Current levels of development assistance 26 3. Accelerating the catch up 31 4. Closing the gap – delivering on the promise 38 Conclusion 44 Endnotes 45
List of Figures Figure 1 South Sudan – anchored to the bottom of the world education league 20 Figure 2 School participation in South Sudan - below the average for Africa 20 Figure 3 Primary school attrition 21 Figure 4 The secondary deficit 21 Figure 5 South Sudan’s gender gaps – among the world’s widest 22 Figure 6 Few of South Sudan's children are in permanent classrooms 24 Figure 7 South Sudan’s Teacher Workforce – limited training, few women 25 ure ure List of Tables Table 1 Financing Basic Education in South Sudan: Targets, Plans and Gaps (2012 -2015) 33 Table 2 The scope for early delivery in education: financial estimates for achieving specified 36 targets (selected non-governmental organisations)
Table 3 Closing the financing gap (an illustrative proposal) 39
List of Boxes Box 1 Scaling up and capacity building 35 Box 2 Building capacity and working through government systems 37
Educationbetter in ininvesting a South fut Sudan: Box 3 Delivering the peace dividend – a role for Community Support Bases (CSBs) 43
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Glossary
ADF African Development Fund
AfDB African Development Bank
BRAC Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee
BSF Basic Service Fund
CECs County Education Centres
CSBs County Support Bases
DAC The OECD’s Development Assistance Committee
DfID Department for International Development
EPP South Sudan Education Peace Premium
GER Gross Enrolment Ratio
GPE The Global Partnership for Education
GPI Gender Parity Index
GRSS Government of the Republic of South Sudan
IDA International Development Association
LSDAI Local Service Delivery Aid Instrument
MDGs Millennium Development Goals
MDTF Multi-Donor Trust Fund
MoGEI Ministry of General Education and Instruction
NER Net Enrolment Ratio
ODA Oversees Development Assistance
TTI Teacher Training Institute
UNDAF United Nations Development Assistance Framework
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Acknowledgments
This report was written with Kevin Watkins David Masua (Education Programme Manager, of the Centre for Universal Education at the Windle Trust), Sue Nicholson (Education Brookings Institution. Our research was Technical Adviser, Save the Children in South greatly assisted by many individuals and Sudan), and Habibur Rahman (Education organisations. Programme Manager, BRAC South Sudan).
Several ministers from the Government of the We also benefited from discussions with Juba- Republic of South Sudan were extremely based staff from a number of donor agencies, generous with their time, providing advice and including Hilde Johnson (Special comments on early drafts. Special thanks are Representative to the Secretary General on due to Joseph Ukel Abongo (Minister for South Sudan), Yasmin Haque (South Sudan General Education and Instruction), Peter Country Representative, UNICEF), William Adwok Nywabi (Minister for Higher Osafo (Education Team Leader, USAID South Education) and Kosti Manibe Ngai (Minister Sudan Mission), and Fazle Rabbani (Education for Finance and Economic Planning). Senior Adviser), DFID. officials and consultants from a number of ministries provided comments and insights Initial findings from the report were including Esther Akumu (Director for presented to a group of non-governmental Development Partner Coordination, Ministry organisations at a meeting held in London, on of General Education and Instruction), 20 March 2012. The subsequent discussions Stephanie Allan (Donor Coordinator, Ministry and comments informed the redrafting of Finance and Economic Planning), Deng process. We wish to thank the following Deng Yai (Undersecretary for General organisations for their participation: Action Education and Instruction), Catherine Dom Aid, the Anglican Church, BRAC, the British (Technical Adviser, Ministry of Finance and Council, Camfed, Care International, The Economic Planning), and Moses Mabior, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, (Director for Aid Coordination, Ministry of Christian Aid, Comic Relief, the Global Finance and Economic Planning). Campaign for Education, the Open University, Oxfam, Save the Children and VSO. ure ure Staff working with non-governmental organisations in South Sudan provided Michael Holman, author and former Africa invaluable advice based on their programme Editor of the Financial Times, kindly experience. We are indebted to Caroline De commented on an early draft. Anna (Education Programme Coordinator, While all of the individuals and organisations Episcopal Church of Sudan), Reverend mentioned above have informed this report, Emmanuel (Education Manager, Episcopal the views expressed are those of the authors Church of Sudan), Emily Lugano (Education alone. Adviser, Save the Children in South Sudan),
Educationbetter in ininvesting a South fut Sudan:
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Foreword: South Sudan – time to act
parents everywhere around the world, I know that it is through education that children broaden their horizons and develop the skills they need to realise their potential. Education and learning are the real foundations for opportunity.
Today, millions of children around the world are denied a chance to put those foundations in place. Progress towards the 2015 goal of universal primary education is slowing, leaving 67 million primary school age children locked out of classrooms – and many more receiving a sub-standard education. Poverty, child labour, early marriage, and armed conflict are
among the scourges holding back progress in The Right Honourable Gordon Brown MP, education, along with failures of political former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Co-Chair of the High Level Panel on global leadership. education The High Level Panel on global education was created to address what I see as a global crisis in education. As co-chair, along with Graça Machel – Madiba’s wife – I have spent time One of the great privileges that I have enjoyed researching that crisis. I have spoken to in my political life is the opportunity to meet political leaders, the heads of international Nelson Mandela. agencies, and non-governmental organisations. Like many people around the world, I have And I have spent time talking to people at the been inspired by his life, his courage, and his sharp end of the crisis in education. I have wisdom. Through his personal example, he heard agonised stories from parents who has demonstrated that iron resolve backed by want their children to be able to live the life practical endeavour and clear strategies can they are capable of living, but are forced by move mountains. circumstances to settle for something less; and I have spoken to children who are Of the many words that I have read by desperate for the education that they know Madiba, there is one sentence that I am always could transform their lives. drawn to. It is this: “There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is Africa’s newest nation less than the one you are capable of living.” My work as Co-Chair of the High Level Panel Since becoming a parent I have often thought on global education has involved visits to about these words. Like parents everywhere many countries. But there is one country that across the world, I want my children to have illustrates more than any other what is not the lives they are capable of living. And like working in the current international aid 7
architecture on education. That country is building, the development of shared identity, South Sudan, Africa’s newest nation. and the creation of a society that is more resilient and less vulnerable to violence. Much has been achieved over the six years that have passed since South Sudan emerged To its credit, the Government of the Republic from a brutal and protracted conflict. Yet of South Sudan (GRSS) is putting in place an parents and children are still waiting for an education strategy that holds out the promise education peace premium – and South Sudan of a better future. However, it lacks the is embarking on independence anchored to financial resources, technical capacity and the bottom of the world league table on institutional systems to overcome the vast education. backlog in education provision. That is why the international community has such an Over one million children of primary school important role to play. Several donors, UN age are out of school. Enrolment rates in agencies and non-governmental organisations secondary education are below 10 per cent. have put in place education programmes that In what is a desperate situation for all are making a difference – but not on the children, South Sudan’s girls face additional required scale. disadvantages. Just 6 per cent of 13 year old girls have completed primary school. So This paper sets out an agenda for change. It extreme are the gender inequalities that identifies a framework for policies that would: young girls in South Sudan are more than • twice as likely to die in pregnancy or Bring opportunities for improved childbirth as they are to make it through education to 2.5 million children, half of primary school and into secondary education. them currently out of school • Provide financial support for the Behind these numbers is a vast waste of education of half-a-million girls potential. Getting children into school and • Make provision for the education of providing them with decent quality 300,000 children displaced as a result of opportunities for education would help them armed violence, or living in conflict zones to build a better future, for themselves and • Train 30,000 teachers and build 3,000 their country. In an increasingly knowledge- schools based and interconnected world, sustained and shared prosperity depends not on what Achieving these goals will require additional resources. We set out a financing strategy ure ure countries have in terms of natural resources, but on what their citizens are able to learn. that includes an increased resource For South Sudan’s young people, education is mobilisation effort on the part of the GRSS. a passport to employment. Development assistance will have to cover a financing gap of US$1.6bn over the next four Education also has a wider role to play. years, or US$400m annually. Armed conflict and the threat of violence remains a source of insecurity for many of Our proposals include recommendations for South Sudan’s people. Many factors are individual donors. The Global Partnership for involved, including prejudice, long-standing Education (GPE), the major multilateral hostilities, and attitudes that see recourse to mechanism charged with financing efforts to violence as legitimate. With the right achieve the international development goals, curriculum in place, the education system has yet to establish a programme in South
Educationbetter in ininvesting a South fut Sudan: could act as a powerful force for peace- Sudan. This is a wasted opportunity – and not just for South Sudan. The GPE needs to 8
establish its credentials as an innovative and and many bilateral donors. Expanded delivery dynamic force for change in countries affected is held back not by a lack of capacity, but by a by conflict. The World Bank’s International lack of predictable finance on a scale Development Association (IDA) could also commensurate with the problem. play a vital role. We propose a GPE-IDA co- financing arrangement to mobilise US$180m Having reviewed the situation in South Sudan annually. I am struck by similarities with other conflict- affected countries. Children in these countries Other actors also have to step up to the should have first call on international support. plate. Bilateral donors and the European Instead, they are pushed to the back of the Commission could mobilise an additional queue for development assistance. Education US$100m annually. Non-traditional donors – is not a priority in the humanitarian aid including China – could be approached. And system – in fact, it accounts for less than 2 the Africa Development Bank/Africa per cent of emergency aid. And because the Development Fund has developed co-financing governments of conflict-affected states are mechanisms that are well suited to support often unable – or unwilling – either to deliver the development of education infrastructure. services or to meet the reporting standards required by major donors, children and I am, of course, aware that some people will parents are left to fend for themselves. From argue that the goals that have been set are Somalia and the refugee camps of northern too ambitious, that the costs are not Kenya, to the war zones of north-eastern affordable, and that South Sudan should Democratic Republic of Congo, conflict is concentrate on taking small steps in the right destroying opportunities for education on an direction, rather than attempting a great leap epic scale, and the aid system is providing forward. limited protection.
I do not accept these arguments. In the As an international community motivated by course of research for this paper I have shared values and a common commitment to looked at the programmes of several non- education, we must acknowledge this gap in governmental organisations doing the aid architecture – and then we must fill it. extraordinary work in education. The Ecumenical Church of South Sudan runs the That is why I believe we need a new type of largest teacher-training programme in the organisation to deliver not just money, but country, whilst the Bangladesh Rural also teachers, books, temporary classrooms, Advancement Committee (BRAC) operates and counsellors trained in trauma over 500 schools in some of the most difficult management to conflict areas. It is against this parts of the country, providing thousands of background that we are planning to form a children with the hope of a better future. And new type of organisation called Education Save the Children is bringing health and without Borders . The aim: to provide a education support to many communities. mechanism that galvanises support, coordinates action, and delivers aid and These and other non-governmental education services to those most in need. organisations have found ways of delivering This is not an exercise in creating parallel results, working with and through structures. It is an attempt to create a government. They are clear that, with mechanism through which a wide range of additional support, they could scale-up their actors – the public, teachers and other programmes. The same is true of UN agencies education professionals, the business 9
community and others – can join a shared South Sudan’s children have waited long effort to keep the flame of education alive for enough for the education peace premium. children trapped in conflict. It can achieve for And they have a right to expect bold action education in broken down areas a little of and our best effort – not half-measures, what Médecins Sans Frontières and the Red hesitation and indifference. Cross achieve for health. To paraphrase Madiba we are ‘playing small’ Let me conclude by returning to the country with education in South Sudan. And by playing that is the focus for this report. When I think small we are consigning a generation of of South Sudan, I think of a people who have children to lives that are immeasurably less shown extraordinary courage in the face of than the lives they are capable of living. unimaginable adversity. I think of parents who, like you and me, want the best for their The children of South Sudan deserve better – children. And I think of children who are filled and we must do better by them. with talent, potential and hope.
It is to the children of South Sudan that I
dedicate this report. And it is on their behalf that I ask your support for the proposals it The Right Honourable Gordon Brown MP, former sets out. Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Co-Chair of the High Level Panel on global education ure ure
Children at the BRAC supported Hai Kugi School on the outskirts of Juba in South Sudan. © UNESCO /M. Hofer (2011)
Educationbetter in ininvesting a South fut Sudan:
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Executive Summary
"I never had the chance to finish school - but all my children must have an education. Then they can have the chance of a better life. No one will get anywhere in this country without an education."
Beida Ropani, aged 28, farmer, Lora village, Central Equatoria, South Sudan.
Education in South Sudan – investing in chronic shortages of classrooms and a better future textbooks. Learning outcomes are abysmal.
The newly-independent country of South Set against these challenges there is a vast Sudan is anchored to the bottom of the world untapped potential for change. At the heart of league table for education. More than half of that potential are the people of South Sudan. its primary school age children – over 1 They have shown extraordinary courage, million in total – are out of school. Young girls resilience and commitment to education. In are more likely to die in pregnancy or the face of overwhelming odds, they have childbirth than to graduate from primary been trying to get their children the schooling school. South Sudan’s young people face they deserve. Enrolment numbers have more restricted opportunities for the education than doubled in the five years since the peace they need to build a better future for agreement. The GRSS has pledged to make themselves and their country. It is time for education a priority – and that pledge is the world to come together and change this backed by a strategic plan for the picture. construction of an education system.
The children of South Sudan have suffered Donors have a more mixed record. enough. It is time to deliver the education Development assistance for education falls far peace premium that their parents hoped for – below the level required to support a and that they deserve. breakthrough. The education sector receives a low-level of support and aid efficiency has The Government of the Republic of South been hampered by weak coordination. Most Sudan (GRSS) has set ambitious goals in bilateral donors are operating programmes on education but there are daunting obstacles to a modest scale. While UNICEF has played an be overcome. The recent disruption of important role in coordination and revenue from oil exports threatens to starve reconstruction for education, the wider basic service budgets of the financing needed multilateral aid effort has been limited. to build schools, health clinics, and vital social and economic infrastructure. Ongoing Other actors are conspicuous by their violence in parts of the country is causing absence. The Global Partnership for Education large-scale displacement and dislocation of (GPE), a multilateral partnership that operates services. There are problems in governance - under the financial auspices of the World and in government capacity. The education Bank, rightly describes itself as “the only system is under-financed. Most of the multilateral partnership devoted to getting country’s teachers are untrained. There are all /out-of-school/ children into school for a quality education.” i Promoting gender 11
equity is one of the GPE’s priorities. mobilizing an additional US$100m annually for South Sudan has a larger proportion of education spending. its children out of school than almost any other country in the world, along Supplemented by an increased resource with the deepest gender inequalities. mobilisation effort on the part of the GRSS, Yet six years after the peace the education peace premium would extend agreement, the GPE has not yet opportunities for some 2.5 million children delivered a programme in South Sudan. and adolescents. Beyond the wider benefits for poverty reduction, peace-building and Hopes that this would change in early 2012 state-building, returns from the peace have not yet been realised. Following a premium would include: review of the Government of South Sudan • draft education strategy, the GPE secretariat another 1 million primary school age determined that full endorsement of the plan children in school • would require its further development over wider benefits for an additional 1.5 several years and recommended that the million learners by improving the government re-submit a less ambitious quality of education ‘transitional plan’. An indicative allocation of • emergency provision for 300,000 just US$38 million over four years has been children displaced by on-going set aside – an amount that falls far short of conflicts what is needed. What should have been a test • early childhood provision for 300,000 case for the GPE’s effectiveness has become a children under the age of 5 showcase for what is going wrong in an aid • support for half-a-million girls system that is too inflexible, slow-moving and • extended opportunities for unresponsive to the needs of conflict-affected adolescents and young adults who countries. missed out on opportunities for basic education There is still time to change this picture. The • training for 30,000 teachers Board of the GPE could demand an urgent • another 3000 schools for current review of the response to South Sudan’s and future generations of learners education strategy. It is also important that the World Bank steps up to the plate by Financing for the proposed EPP would be putting into place a financing programme to drawn from a range of sources. Success will ure ure support early delivery of results and long- hinge on a compact between the GRSS and term capacity building. the international community, represented by a range of donors. What is clear is that the children of South Sudan have a right to expect something more. Our proposal envisages a broader and deeper In the absence of a strengthened aid effort, donor support base for education. We South Sudan will fail to achieve the ambitious suggest that the GPE provide annual financing goals set by its government and demanded by of US$90m, with the World Bank co-financing its people. This paper sets out the case an equivalent amount through the for a South Sudan Education Peace International Development Association (IDA). Premium (EPP) backed by a US$1.6 Drawing on its extensive experience and billion aid investment over the period project portfolio in post-conflict states, the 2012-2016 - US$400 annually. The GRSS
Educationbetter in ininvesting a South fut Sudan: African Development Bank/African would need to supplement this aid effort by Development Fund is well placed to support 12
the development of school infrastructure and opportunity to put in place a flexible new support. We propose a financing contribution structure for education. Over time, the of around US$40m annually. Less concessional pooled funding mechanism could evolve into a elements in the financing could be secured sector-wide support programme. More against future oil revenues. Bilateral donors immediately, it could mobilise support for and the European Union would have to non-governmental organisations working with mobilise another US$100 million annually, government to build capacity and deliver with non-traditional donors – including China results on the ground. – providing US$30m annually. We also argue that private foundations and charities should The achievements of non-governmental play a greater role in supporting education in organisations refute the claim that South South Sudan. Sudan lacks the conditions for an education take-off. Working with a broader alliance of Delivering an early and substantial education churches, the Episcopal Church of South peace premium in South Sudan will be difficult Sudan has developed the largest teacher in- – but the degree of difficulty should not be service training programme in the country, exaggerated. Sustained progress will require meeting high standards of performance. One the development of technical and of the largest non-governmental organisations administrative capacity, along with the providing education is the Bangladesh Rural development of more robust systems for Advancement Committee in Education transparency and accountability in public (BRAC) – an agency with a proven track finance. Increased and more equitable public record in reaching highly marginalised spending is critical. But governance communities and training female teachers. constraints can be overcome by drawing on Save the Children is leading the arrangements that have emerged since the implementation of a major alternative comprehensive peace agreement, as well as education programme financed by the United the experiences of other countries. Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DfID) and piloting innovative To that end, we propose the creation of a early childhood interventions. We have based pooled fund for education. Jointly managed by our cost-estimates for the education peace donors and the GRSS, this would build on the premium on the programmes of these and practices established under the Basic Service other NGOs with a proven capacity for Fund (BSF). This has been the most successful scaling-up, as well as UN agencies and bilateral of the pooled funding mechanisms in South donors. Sudan, with spending of US$65m to date on primary education, health, water and In drawing up the proposed plan of action we sanitation. The BSF has been a major source do not discount the very real difficulties that of financing for school construction and will have to be addressed. Outcomes will teacher training. The great advantage of the depend on the development of a partnership facility is that it enables donors to pool risk between the GRSS, donors and non- and resources behind the government’s governmental organisations, and on political strategy, working through non-government leadership on all sides. Listing problems and organisations with a proven track record on enumerating the many technical reasons that delivery. can be found either for delaying action, or for testing the water with small-scale pilot With current pooled funding arrangements in programmes, is easy. But South Sudan’s South Sudan about to expire, there is an children cannot afford delay and prevarication 13
– and the country cannot afford to waste the potential of a generation of youth. Our An agenda for action proposal combines the four critical This report sets out an agenda for requirements for delivering results: achievable targets, an efficient delivery mechanism, achieving an educational breakthrough in predictable aid, and a compact between the South Sudan. Proposals include: GRSS, donors and non-governmental • Additional aid of US$400m organisations. annually for four years, with Headline figures for the cost of the proposed domestic budget resources programme have to be considered against the increased by US$100m annually. potential flow of benefits, as measured by the • The GPE and IDA to mobilise number of children in school, the expanded US$180m through a co-financing opportunities for learning, and the renewed arrangement. hope that will come with progress in • education. The US$400m a year for four An independent assessment of the years that is required may seem unaffordable. GPE’s review of the South Sudan The question that has to be asked is whether draft education strategy. the world is willing to stand-by while 2.5 • The creation of a pooled fund for million children lose their chance for an education in South Sudan to education that could lift them out of poverty, provide a focal point for create jobs, build a more peaceful and government support. resilient society, and support economic • Measures to support growth. Failure to expand opportunities for disadvantaged children, including education will increase the risk of more financial incentives for parents to conflict, which will in turn leave donors facing the prospect of increased humanitarian aid keep children in school, especially costs. Viewed against this alternative, the cost young girls; expanded education of implementing the actions proposed in this provision in conflict-affected areas; report - around US$5 per child - is a small and programmes for adolescents. price to pay for a very high return. • Expanded programmes for training teachers and recruitment of female
ure ure teachers.
Educationbetter in ininvesting a South fut Sudan:
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Introduction
The Republic of South Sudan is sub-Saharan schooling – alongside food and water – as Africa’s newest nation. Established in July being a major priority. 2011, the country achieved statehood facing enormous challenges. The Government of Across South Sudan, parents and young South Sudan (GRSS), created with the signing people are striving to overturn a legacy of of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in illiteracy, restricted opportunity, and poor 2005, inherited none of the institutions quality schooling. In towns and villages across associated with an independent state. South the country, desperately poor people are Sudan’s human development indicators are working to get their children into an among the worst in the world. The human embryonic and over-stretched education capital and physical infrastructure are limited. system. The GRSS is working with partners to Insecurity remains a major concern across strengthen that system and build capacity. many parts of the country. While the term ‘post-conflict reconstruction’ is widely used to describe the process now Yet independence has unleashed a wave of underway in South Sudan, in the case of hope, optimism and expectation. Having education – and other basic services – it is endured a brutal and long-running civil war misleading. Six years ago this was a country that claimed over 2 million lives, South without an education system. Even today, only Sudan’s people have a right to expect a ‘peace the initial foundations are in place. So this is a dividend’, including improved access to basic case of post-conflict construction in a country services, more secure livelihoods, and greater that inherited no infrastructure and has very safety. Failure to deliver in these areas would limited human resources. be a lost opportunity with tragic human consequences for the people of South Sudan, Against this backdrop, the achievements and with damaging implication for peace and registered in education since the 2005 peace security not just across the new nation, but accords have been extraordinary. The number across the region. of children in primary school has doubled in five years. Over 500 classrooms have been Delivering the education peace dividend constructed. Led by a clear statement of intent on the part of President Salva Kiir, the Perhaps more than any other sector, GRSS has put in place ambitious plans to education has the potential to deliver an early, accelerate progress towards the 2015 large and highly visible peace dividend. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). education system in any country is a point of South Sudan’s constitution includes a contact between governments and their provision establishing the entitlement to ‘free citizens. And in a country like South Sudan, and compulsory education at the primary where the civil war destroyed educational level’. The South Sudan Development Plan opportunities for generations, the presence of includes a wide range of 2015/16 targets for functioning schools, teachers and books has education aimed at putting the country on the potential to demonstrate that the peace is track for the MDGs. ii delivering. Moreover, South Sudan’s people attach a very high value to education, with The Ministry of General Education and survey evidence showing that parents identify Instruction ( MoGEI) is finalising a strategy 15
aimed at translating these targets and high- The challenge now is to build on best practice level political commitments into policies and and scale-up the level of ambition in an spending commitments aimed at achieving the environment that may deteriorate as a result MDGs and wider Education for All goals by of budget austerity. 2022. iii Currently available in draft form, that strategy - Promoting learning for all - aims to get The oil crisis the country on course for universal primary Like all other sectors, education stands to be education by 2016, with expanded provision severely affected by the ongoing crisis over oil of second chance education, measures to exports. Failure to resolve that crisis will have improve learning achievement levels and a grave consequences for South Sudan (as it will range of strategies aimed at closing the gender for Khartoum), raising the spectre of a gap. The document, which has been drawn up reversal of the fragile gains in education, in close consultation with the Local Donor health, water and other areas that have been Group, bears testimony to the achieved over the six years since the professionalism of staff in the Ministry of comprehensive peace agreement. With oil General Education and Instruction (MoGEI). accounting for 98 per cent of government Several bilateral donors, UN agencies and revenues, even a modest loss of export non-governmental organisations are earnings would lead to significant cuts in supporting the reconstruction effort, often expenditure. working under difficult conditions. UNICEF’s The background to the crisis can be briefly Go to School Programme helped to double summarised. Since the comprehensive peace school enrolment in three years. Both the agreement, oil from South Sudan has been government and its partners have exported through pipelines from Sudan. As of demonstrated a capacity for flexibility and March 2012, pipelines from two of the three innovation, building classrooms, delivering oilfields were close to shut-down. The GRSS iv textbooks and training teachers. Non- decision was prompted by a heavy transit tax governmental organisations are active across levied by the Government of Sudan and a the country, often operating in areas affected subsequent seizure of oil shipments by the by conflict. While experience under the government in Khartoum. Negotiations World Bank-managed Multi-Donor Trust through the Africa Union have failed to Fund (MDTF) was disappointing, another resolve the crisis. v The GRSS has responded pooled funding arrangement – the Basic ure ure by announcing plans to build new oil pipelines Services Fund (BSF) – delivered cost-effective through Kenya and Ethiopia. However, this results, notably in school construction and will entail significant capital costs and it would teacher training. One of the strengths of the be several years before the revenues from BSF has been its ability to lower transaction those pipelines came on stream. costs and achieve economies of scale in delivery. At the time of writing this report, the GRSS was preparing an austerity budget to adjust to For those who question the capacity of the loss of oil revenues. While education is international aid and partnerships in education treated as a ‘protected’ area, the draft budget to deliver results on the ground, the evidence still envisages reductions in spending of from South Sudan tells a different story. around 20 per cent. Real cuts in expenditure Donors and non-governmental organisations are likely to be far deeper than this since a Educationbetter in ininvesting a South fut Sudan: have found ways of delivering results, working number of programmes that involve co- in the process to build government capacity. 16
financing with donors could also be reduced. making other border issues more difficult to Classrooms that are under construction could resolve. The people of both countries stand be left unfinished, teachers could be left to suffer. On all of these counts, no effort unpaid, and children could be left without should be spared in attempting to arrive at a textbooks. Aid programmes that blend negotiated settlement. development assistance and government finance will be disrupted. Such outcomes This report is organised in three parts. Part 1 would inevitably worsen the dire situation in provides an overview of where South Sudan education that we document in the next stands in education, which is at the bottom of section. They would also have consequences the global league for opportunity, gender in other areas, including health, nutrition and equity and learning. Part 2 looks at current water. In order to limit damage, donors levels of aid to education. In part 3 we should prepare a contingency plan in the form highlight the core threat to the education of an emergency poverty reduction fund prospects of South Sudan’s children. That through which they can channel resources. threat is the very large gap between the targets that have been set on the one side, There are no winners from the oil crisis. and the financing provisions made by Failure to find a settlement will bring the government and donors to achieve those budgets of the GRSS and the Government of targets on the other. Part 4 sets out a Sudan under acute pressure. In South Sudan, financing and delivery strategy for accelerating there is a danger that currency depreciation South Sudan’s educational catch-up. would raise the price of vital imports and spark food price inflation. Moreover, tensions over oil could tip over into a wider conflict
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1. An education system under pressure
The challenges facing the GRSS in education Ongoing armed conflict is a pervasive source are mirrored in wider human development of insecurity. The military takeover of Abyei challenges. While the period since the 2005 and other areas by the Sudanese Armed peace settlement has witnessed progress in Forces and attacks on civilians in Southern many areas, South Sudan retains some of the Kordofan and Blue Nile State result in large worst social indicators in the world. Recent scale displacements. Alongside these cross- assessments highlight vast areas of unmet border conflicts, intra-communal, inter-tribal, need. and militia-based violence, notably in the states of Warrap, Unity, Upper Nile, Jonglei Poverty levels are exceptionally high. Oil and Lakes, continue to cause displacement. revenues create the misleading impression During 2011, it is estimated that over 300,000 that South Sudan is a country with relatively people were displaced in South Sudan as a high levels of per capita income. In fact, over result of armed conflict. 80 per cent of the population is estimated to live below the international poverty threshold For all of these immense difficulties pessimism of US$1.25 a day. is unwarranted. As UNICEF has pointed out, the period since 2005 has witnessed progress The poor state of basic service provision is on several fronts. vi The under-five mortality reflected in health indicators. Maternal rate has dropped by 20 per cent; in large mortality rates are the highest in the world - measures as a result of improved over one-in-fifty women die during pregnancy immunisation and a strengthened health and or child-birth. Female literacy rates may be nutrition framework. From a very low base, the lowest in the world. Immunisation access to roads and water has improved. And coverage is limited – less than 5 per cent of there has been a surge in access to education. children are fully vaccinated - and Sudan ranks fourth globally for deaths from malaria. Well Progress and shortfalls in education under half of the population has access to even the most basic health care facilities, with Progress in education mirrors wider just 14 per cent of births attended by skilled developments since the peace accords. There ure ure staff. Malnutrition rates are very high, with have been important advances, albeit with UN agencies reporting one-third of children marked disparities across states. However, under the age of five are stunted and one- the country is a long way from achieving the quarter underweight. Almost 3 million people international development goals such as live in a state of chronic food insecurity. universal primary education and gender equity. For children who are in school, the Each of these indicators has a bearing on quality of education is often so poor that they education. Although South Sudan has been are unlikely to master basic literacy and getting more children into school, the high numeracy skills. incidence of poverty, illness and malnutrition inevitably takes on toll on the prospects for Evidence of the value that South Sudan’s reducing drop-out rates and raising learning people attach to education is provided by a post-peace settlement surge in school
Educationbetter in ininvesting a South fut Sudan: standards. enrolments. Between 2005 and 2009, the 18
number of children enrolled in primary school scored 47 and grade 4 Yemeni students doubled, from 0.7 million to 1.4 million. Data scored 34 in the same sample test. ix for secondary education is unreliable, though evidence suggests that enrolment levels have The twin goals of improving access and school increased significantly. retention while raising quality goals will have to be pursued in the face of acute These achievements reflect the strong drive demographic pressures. South Sudan is a of parents to get their children into school. young country not just by virtue of its recent Household surveys consistently document the independence but also in terms of its age importance that parents attach to education. profile. One third of the population is aged As the government’s Social Sector between 5 and 16 years old. But this figure Development Plan puts it: “Stakeholders understates the effects of population growth. consistently placed basic health and education In 2008, the there were around 1.2 million among their top development priorities on the children in South Sudan aged between 0 and 5 grounds that these services provide not only an years, more than double the population aged immediate benefit, but are linked to the nation’s 20-25. x Ensuring that there are places available economic future by building the foundation for a in school for these children and that they stronger, more highly skilled labour force.” More receive a good quality education is critical not than half of children and youth participating in just for the children in question, but for South one UNICEF survey identified education as Sudan’s human development prospects as their principal interest. vii well.
Having endorsed the Education For All goals, A country apart – South Sudan’s education policy makers in South Sudan face daunting deficit challenges with limited resources. They have to improve access to school for a whole The advances registered over the past six generation of primary school children, half of years should not deflect attention from the whom are currently out-of-school. They need scale of the challenge ahead. Education is one to extend opportunities to the many of the most effective mechanisms for adolescents and adults who missed out on delivering a peace premium. It is a core part earlier opportunities for education – and of the social contract between citizens and there are more than 2 million illiterate people states. For the majority of people in South in the age range 15-40, almost two-thirds of Sudan, the education peace premium has yet them female. viii to arrive. The country’s education system is not, as presently constituted, fit for the At the same time as expanding access, the purpose of supporting the country’s social and GRSS has to improve the quality of education economic development, peace-building, and provision and raise learning outcomes. state-building. Education outcomes reflect the combined effects of household poverty, untrained and On almost any measure of performance, unsupported teaching staff and limited access South Sudan is anchored to the bottom of the xi to learning materials. Less than 8 per cent of international league table. Of the 121 grade 6 students scored more than 50 per countries in the world for which comparable cent in a sample mathematics test. The data is available, South Sudan ranks second average score in a sample mathematics test lowest; for secondary education is ranked the was 38 for grade 6 South Sudanese students. lowest out of 134 countries ( Figure 1 ). In comparison, grade 5 Sudanese students 19
Figure 1: South Sudan - anchored to the Fewer than half of primary school age children bottom of the world education league are in school. The net enrolment rate is just Enrolment rates, most recent year 44 per cent, implying that around 1.1 million
NER GER children in the relevant age range are out of
school. Secondary school enrolment is in primary education in secondary education reported at less than 10 per cent . Drop-out (South Sudan amongst (South Sudan amongst rates are very high. Using 2009 data, the 160% World Bank put the gross enrolment rate at 145 per cent for grade one, falling to just 8 per cent at grade eight. As illustrated in
Figure 2 , enrolment rates in South Sudan are far below the average leve ls for sub-Saharan
Africa – and these figures mask the marked disparities across states. 140%
Figure 3 illustrates the high rate of attrition and gender disparity in South Sudan’s primary schools. In 2010 there were just under half -a- million children in the fir st grade of primary school. By the eighth grade that figure had
fallen to just over 20,000 (with fewer than 120% 7,000 girls).
As these figures suggest, many children enter
school only to drop out before gaining basic literacy skills. Over one-quarter drop out
between grades 1 and 2 – and just 16 per cent of students enrolled at grade 1 complete
100% primary education. The rate for girls is 9 per cent, underlining the cumulative effect of gender inequalities.
ure ure Source: UNESCO, 2011, Building a better future: Education for an independent South Sudan
Figure 2: School participation in South Sudan - below the average for Africa Primary School Net Enrolment Ratio (NER), 2010 90% 78% 74% 80% 76% 70% 60% 44% 50% 50% 37% South Sudan 40% 30% Sub -Saharan Africa Educationbetter in ininvesting a South fut Sudan: 20% 10% 20 0% NER Total NER Male NER Female
Source: Education Management Information System 20 10, GRSS
Figure 3: Primary school attrition Enrolment by grade and gender, 2010 300,000
250,000 262,309
200,000 182,311 164,040 153,349 150,000 Male 113,243 118,737 Female 100,000 90,866 75,914 67,148 43,872 50,000 41,504 24,049 28,022 15,694 6,681 14,135 0 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8
Source: Education Management Information System 2010, GRSS
Figure 4: The secondary deficit Pupil enrolment by grade and gender, 2010 12,000 10,522 10,000
7,216 8,000
5,500 6,000 Male 4,299 Female 4,000 2,995 2,300 1,260 2,000 395 0 S1 S2 S3 S4 Source: Education Management Information System 2010, GRSS
Many of those who do complete school are rate for thirteen year old girls is less than 5 over age. If children entered South Sudan’s per cent. primary schools at the official entry age and progressed smoothly through the system, Attrition rates in secondary education are they would complete primary school by the equally marked, as are gender disparities age of 13. However, only one in ten thirteen (Figure 3 ). Only around 400 girls are year olds have completed primary school. In reported to be enrolled in the last grade of five of the ten counties – Eastern Equatoria, secondary school. Western Equatoria, Jonglei, Upper Nile and As this data illustrates, South Sudan’s girls face Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal – the completion a triple disadvantage. In an education system that offers limited opportunities for all 21
children, they are the l ast in, the first out and Emergency provision the least likely to make it to secondary school. Taking into account both primary and Armed conflict and displacement continue to secondary school, no country in the world threaten the education of many of South ranks lower than South Sudan on the measure Sudan’s children. Here, too, there has been of gender inequality ( Figure 5 ). some progress. Since 2010, the ‘Education Cluster’ of donors has worked with the GRSS Figure 5 : South Sudan’s g ender gaps – to strengthen emergency coordination. The among the world’s widest cluster has increased access to protected Countries ranking on the Gender Parity learning spaces and trained almost 2,000 Index (GPI), most recent years * teachers in emergency-affected areas. 1.6 However, large gaps in provision continue to Primary GPI Secondary GPI hamper progress towards education for all. (149 countries) (130 countries) Education systems are directly affected by the
consequences of armed conflict. During 2011, an estimated 152,000 primary and secondary school-aged children returned to South Sudan from the north, putting pressure on already 1.4 over-stretched educatio n systems. Episodes of widespread violence and displacement within Gender parity South Sudan have created further pressures.
The international response has been found
Gender Parity Index of Gross Enrolment Ratios Enrolment Gross of Index Parity Gender wanting.
Humanitarian aid has not responded effectively to the education challenge posed 1.2 by displaceme nt. The revised 2011 -2012 7 girls for every financing requirement for delivering education 10 boys in school in emergencies was estimated at around
South US$ 40m, with some 229,000 children needing support. By mid-year, pledges received Sudan 5 girls for every 10 boys in school amounted to less than half of the request, ure ure with the slow disbursement of funds further 1.0 delaying implementation of projects. The conclusion to be drawn is that many displaced
children – probably numbering in hundreds of thousands – are receiving at best limited
provision, and at worst no education support at all.
Barriers to primary school access and
*Female as a proportion of male enrolment completion
Source: UNESCO, 2011, Building a better future: Factors behind low enrolment and early drop Education for an independent South Sudan out vary across states. The two factors most
Educationbetter in ininvesting a South fut Sudan: widely reported by parents for their children being out of school are cost and distance. 22
While the GRSS has a nominal policy of free cent more likely to enrol in grade 1 than basic education, many schools appear to levy children from the poorest quintile. They are charges. Moreover, parents face indirect costs also far less likely to drop out. xiii associated with the purchase of uniforms and books. Distance is especially problematic in Some of the greatest barriers to accelerated states – such as Western Bar Ghazal, progress in education are located beyond the Western equatorial and Jonglei – with low school environment. Poverty and hunger take population densities. a shocking toll on young children in South Sudan. Evidence from many countries has Both cost and distance barriers have marked shown that maternal malnutrition and micro- gender effects. In situations where the nutrient deficiency, coupled with malnutrition education of a girl is less prized than that of a in early childhood, has devastating, and largely boy, girls stand to lose out when hard choices irreversible, consequences for cognitive have to be made – as is regularly the case development and learning achievement. during periods of drought. Similarly, security Similarly, the high incidence of malaria, acute concerns mean that parents are less likely to respiratory tract infection, and intestinal allow their daughters to walk long distances parasites reported for children inevitably to school when they are very young and again contributes to high rates of absenteeism and after puberty. Thus distance often results in diminished learning outcomes. This is why girls starting school late and dropping out South Sudan urgently needs an integrated early. strategy that links maternal and child health provision with education. Gender disparities are reinforced by interlocking social, economic and cultural School based factors are also critical. No factors. While detailed evidence is unavailable, education system anywhere in the world is the practice of early marriage is widespread better than its teachers – and the teacher and has been identified in youth consultation workforce in South Sudan reflects the exercises as a cause of girls dropping out, country’s weak human capital base. There are especially when associated with pregnancy. around 28,000 teachers across the country. Other factors such as the absence of separate Almost half have just a primary school toilets and the unavailability of sanitary towels education, while just 16 per cent of those also create barriers for young girls. xii teaching in primary schools have professional qualifications. Around two-thirds of teachers National average figures obscure pervasive report having no pre-service training, while in- disparities. For every ten boys enrolled in service training is limited in terms of primary and secondary school there are coverage, and largely unknown in terms of respectively just seven and five girls. The vast qualitative outcomes. xiv The subject and majority of girls drop out before grade 5. content knowledge of primary school There are also marked inequalities between teachers is so weak that many would struggle states. Whereas Western Equatorial, Upper to master the curriculum they are supposed Nile and Central Equatorial have gross to teach. enrolment rates in excess of 90 per cent, the figure falls to 67 per cent for Unity and The limited number of female teachers almost around 50 per cent or less for Jonglei, certainly plays a part in reinforcing gender Warrap and Eastern Equatorial. Wealth gaps disparities. Just 13 per cent of primary school are further marked. Children from the teachers are female, with five states – Jonglei, wealthiest quintile of households are 32 per Unity, Warrap, Lakes and Northern Bahr 23
Ghazal – having a female presence of 8 per language education system. However, many of cent or less. xv the country’s trained teachers and better- educated adults learnt in Arabic, rather than The learning infrastructure – critical English. Different curricula are used in shortages different parts of the country, reflecting past The experience of South Sudan cautions adaptations by local communities to the long- against understating the importance of running civil war. While national data is physical infrastructure and teaching materials. limited, partial evidence points to high levels International dialogue on policy approaches of teacher absenteeism and low levels of for achieving education for all have seen a instructional time. Evidence from four states growing emphasis on the quality of teaching suggests that a majority of teacher are actively and learning outcomes, as distinct from teaching for less than 10 hours a week, ‘inputs’ such as classrooms, books, compared to best practice norms of more blackboards and desks. In some countries, the than 30 hours. Unsurprisingly, the majority of shift in emphasis is both welcome and long schools and teachers do not currently cover overdue. In the case of South Sudan, the syllabus they are expected to teach. infrastructure deficits and shortages of learning materials reinforce deficits in the Figure 6: Few of South Sudan's quality of education, as illustrated by the children are in permanent following data:xvi classrooms Primary School Classroom by Type, • Pupil-teacher ratios are very high, 2010 especially for trained teachers. The national average ratio for pupils-trained teachers is 1:117, rising to 1:141 in Unity Per- manent Open-air and Upper Nile states and 1:201 in Jonglei 28.4% • Other 33.2% Classroom shortages are pervasive. 0.5% One third of the children ‘in school’ are Tent Semi- being taught in the open air and another 2.1% Roof per- quarter in semi-permanent or basic only manent classrooms (Figure 6). The average pupil 11.6% 24.1% classroom ratio is 134:1 Source: Education Management Information ure ure • Provision of latrines and safe drinking System 2010, GRSS water is limited , with the 2009 EMIS reporting just half of schools having access to both facilities Another debilitating factor in the education system is a shortage of professional staff to • Textbooks are in short supply , with an train teachers, develop a cadre of education average pupil textbook ratio of 1:4 rising professionals, and build national centres of to the worst case scenario of 1:9 in Unity excellence (Figure 7). This is a critical state bottleneck. Effective trainers have a strong Stark as it is, this evidence on learning multiplier effect across the education system. infrastructure understates the difficulty of the If one trainer enhances the classroom skills of circumstances facing young learners. As part twenty teachers, over 800 children stand to of the wider nation-building process, South benefit in a single year. xvii Similarly bottlenecks Educationbetter in ininvesting a South fut Sudan: Sudan is making the transition to an English appear in other areas – school inspection, 24
learning assessment and teacher support to Failure to remove these skills and name three – with a potential to deliver infrastructure bottlenecks will leave South benefits across the entire education system. Sudan trapped in a vicious cycle of under- provision and poor quality education.
Figure 7: South Sudan’s Teacher Workforce – limited training, few women Primary Education, 2010
Gender Balance Professi onal qualifications by type
3,286 9%
Female Unknown 16% 28%
Male Untrained
In-service
20% 27% Pre-service
Source: Education Management Information System 2010, GRSS
Part of the solution is to build upon what is facilitate the employment in conflict-affected already happening at a regional level. While countries of international professional staff South Sudan is developing its own teacher equipped to train local counterparts through training infrastructure, there is a strong case temporary placements. In the case of South for making grants available for secondary Sudan, the placements could take place in a school and college graduates to attend national centre such as Juba University, teacher training institutes in Uganda and teacher-training institutes, or county-level Kenya. But there is also scope for drawing on education centres. The South Sudanese a wider pool of talent. The Office of Gordon diaspora, much of which is highly educated, and Sarah Brown is developing an initiative – also has the potential to play a major role Education without Borders – that aims to both in financing and the transfer of skills.
25
2. Current levels of development assistance
No education strategy for South Sudan will major donors are the United States, the succeed without government leadership. By United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the the same token, even the best laid European Union and Norway. This group government plans for achieving the goals set accounts for around two-thirds of out in the education sector strategy will fall commitments. Donors themselves recognise short of their targets in the absence of that fragmentation and weak coordination are increased aid. In this section we look at the serious problems, as is the limited provision aid financing requirements for an accelerated of technical assistance. Most support is catch-up plan in education. provided through non-governmental organisations, reflecting donor reluctance to South Sudan is a major recipient of work through a public financial management international development assistance. Total system that requires strengthening. committed overseas development assistance (ODA) to South Sudan amounted to Aid for education US$1.1bn in 2010. Around half of this amount is geared not towards long-term development The development partnership in education but humanitarian aid, most of which is reflects many of the strengths and weaknesses mobilised on an annual basis.xviii Development of the wider aid environment. Several assistance plays a critical role in the delivery multilateral and bilateral donors have of basic services. Since 2005, between 30-40 identified education as a priority, with the per cent of the government’s budget has been bulk of funding being routed through non- financed by aid. That share has probably governmental organisations. Significant results increased as a result of a budget crisis in 2009 have been achieved. However, current levels associated with a decline in oil prices. of aid fall short of the levels required to achieve the targets set out in the GRSS’s The UN is by far the largest multilateral education plans, potentially putting the donor. Under the current United Nations international development goals out of reach Development Assistance Framework for several generations. Given the limited (UNDAF), a coordinated work plan has been capacity of government systems, the ure ure drawn up with estimated resource education sector would also benefit from requirements of US$1.1bn over two years. strengthened coordination between donors, Only around one-third of this amount is UN agencies and non-governmental currently available. South Sudan is not providers. currently a member of the World Bank. Once the country has applied for membership it will The Basic Services Fund be eligible for IDA funding, though only a There is now a major window of opportunity small amount – currently around US$75m – to strengthen the aid architecture for has been set aside. education. Since the Comprehensive Peace Six years after the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, donors have delivered a large Agreement bilateral donors are still relatively share of their development assistance through thin on the ground in Juba, the capital of two pooled funds – the Multi-Donor Trust Educationbetter in ininvesting a South fut Sudan: South Sudan. In descending order, the five Fund and the Basic Services Fund. 26
The delivery record has been mixed. Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Expectations for the MDTF were very high. with further representation from the three Created as part of the 2005 peace agreement relevant sector ministries, and the Ministry of with support from fifteen donors, it was the Gender. largest of the pooled funds in South Sudan. Donor pledges amounted to US$593m by the Second, in contrast to the MDTF, which was end of 2009 but less than 10 per cent of this managed by the World Bank, the BSF amount had been disbursed. Although the Secretariat is contracted to a commercial pace of disbursement subsequently picked up, consultancy company, BMB Mott MacDonald. the limited support provided through the Under this arrangement, all aspects of the MDTF in its first four years was a wasted BSF’s operations, including grant allocation, opportunity. contracting, financial management and capacity building are integrated in the secretariat. This The BSF built-up a far stronger track record is in marked contrast to the MDTF, where than the MDTF. Established in 2005, initially procurement, audit and monitoring were with support from the United Kingdom’s contracted separately, with World Bank Department for International Development reporting requirements followed in each area (DfID), the BSF’s objective was to increase – an arrangement that led to protracted access to basic services in education, health delays. Overhead costs have also been lower and water and sanitation both by financing in the BSF than in comparable UN funds. service delivery and by building the GRSS’s capacity to plan, monitor and coordinate. The The third area of difference has been in donor support base has expanded over time delivery. Under the BSF, grants are channelled through financing from the European Union, through non-governmental organisations the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. delivering services linked to the targets agreed Disbursement rates have been high, with with the GRSS. In 2010-2011 there were US$60m allocated by 2012. Of the five pooled thirty-eight non-government agencies funds operating in South Sudan, the BSF has receiving grants. While other pooled funds been described in an independent evaluation use the same arrangement, they have been as “the most efficient, accessible and user- unable to provide the rapid and predictable friendly, delivering tangible results.”xix support that organisations with a capacity to scale-up their programmes need to maximise BSF activities in education have focussed on results. classroom construction, school rehabilitation and support for teacher training. By 2011, the Experience under the BSF illustrates many of fund has supported the construction of 104 the wider advantages of pooled funds in post- schools, 570 classrooms and just over 2000 conflict settings. Pooling enables donors to teachers. In each delivery phase, the targets share risks, coordinate their efforts, and build set have been achieved or exceeded. government capacity while meeting strong standards for fiduciary oversight. Support to Why has the BSF been able to deliver been post-genocide Rwanda was provided through able to deliver? Three principal reasons stand a UNICEF-managed pooled fund. The out. First, key donors have provided sustained Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund, which leadership and support, with the GRSS is administered by the World Bank with actively involved in management and support from thirty-two donors, has oversight. The BSF’s Steering Committee, mobilised pledges of almost US$1bn. Results which allocates funds, is chaired by the GRSS’s 27
include putting another 8 million children in range of pre-service and in-service training school. programmes. Development assistance from the United Kingdom includes the South Sudan The impending closure of the pooled funds Education Programmes, which will construct creates several risks and a major opportunity. 32 primary schools and 4 secondary schools The risks include a decline in funding for across four states, and a textbook programme education, allied to weaker coordination that will deliver 12 million textbooks in 2012. behind government efforts and further UKaid is also designing a new support to girls’ fragmentation. These risks merit urgent education to lower the demand side barriers attention, not least because pooled funding to girls’ education in South Sudan. The for education is already falling. European Union is currently designing a pilot The opportunity created by the expiry of schools grant programme for 100 schools existing arrangements is the flip side of the across four states . The Japanese government risk. The GRSS and donors have a chance to through JICA and UNHCR have already put something better in place. Over the past supported construction of one teacher few years, support for education has been training institute (TTI) near Juba and trained provided through multiple pooled funding 70 master trainers. channels, each with their own management The level of bilateral aid for education is systems. Leaving aside the problems that have highly variable across years. This is partly dogged the MDTF, this is an arrangement that because of the narrow donor base and partly raises transaction costs, duplicates demands because of the timing of aid programmes on the GRSS’s already over-stretched supporting large-scale capital spending on resources, and undermines effective delivery. schools and classrooms. In total, bilateral The education sector urgently needs a single donors committed US$29m to education in pooled fund which, building on the practices 2009 and US$56m in 2010, with much of the of the BSF, facilitates donor coordination and increase associated with the UKaid school- support for the education sector strategy. building programme. Such a fund could potentially attract funds from bilateral donors, philanthropic The Global Partnership for Education – a foundations, and other funders not presently missed opportunity active in South Sudan. One potential source of multilateral funding
ure ure Bilateral donors for education has yet to materialise. The Global Partnership for Education (GPE, Most of the major bilateral donors in South formerly known as the Fast Track Initiative) is Sudan are involved in supporting education. a financing mechanism operating with an Their programmes vary in scale, scope and independent board under the auspices of the focus. However, donors have broadly aligned World Bank. In many ways, South Sudan is a their efforts behind the strategic goals set by test case for the GPE which describes itself as the GRSS. “the only multilateral partnership devoted The broad range of donor activity can be to getting all out-of-school children into xx illustrated by reference to some of the larger school for a quality education.” programmes. The United States is It is difficult to square that description implementing a three-year US$30m with the experience of South Sudan. In
Educationbetter in ininvesting a South fut Sudan: programme to build or rehabilitate three January, 2012, the GPE reviewed the South teacher-training institutes, while supporting a 28
Sudan’s draft education strategy at the the education deficit in South Sudan – and the request of the local donor group, which has associated financing entitlement. supported government efforts to develop a national plan. The review marked an The GPE’s response raises wider concerns important milestone. Endorsement could have over its current operations. South Sudan is a helped not just to unlock GPE resources, but test case for the responsiveness, flexibility and to leverage wider assistance. relevance of the facility itself. The GPE should have seized the opportunity provided by the In the event, the GPE review questioned what peace settlement to work with donors and it described as the ‘internal prioritization, the GRSS in framing the education strategy, relevance and realism’ of the strategy, delivering financial support, and leveraging determining that it was insufficiently wider aid. The review itself could have been developed to merit full endorsement. The used to actively support the further review called for further work to reach a development and resubmission of the draft stage whereby “this plan could be updated over strategy with a view to securing early the next few years to become a full endorsement. Instead, it identifies, often at a comprehensive plan for the sector.” In the very high level of generality, reasons for interim, the GRSS was invited to consider the delaying support. The end result is that, six possibility of submitting an interim plan at a years after the peace settlement, there is still later date. The GPE has set aside an indicative no GPE programme in South Sudan – and the allocation of US$38 million for South Sudan prospects for early and substantial support for the period 2011-2014. are not promising.
This is not a credible response. South Sudan Given this background, the Board of the cannot afford to wait a ‘few years’ for a GPE should urgently request an coordinated donor response. There are independent assessment of the unquestionably areas in which the draft plan Secretariat’s review of the GRSS’s could be strengthened. In some areas, education strategy. That assessment should including the role of devolved states, a more be undertaken by a team of internationally detailed implementation matrix is required. recognised experts on education planning in The GPE review also notes a number of data post-conflict environments. Apart from gaps, neglecting the real constraints that the evaluating the Secretariat’s review, the expert government and donors operate under: South team should be requested to identify specific Sudan did not inherit an education planning areas in which the education strategy for system with a strong data base. South Sudan can be strengthened, while at the same time identifying mechanisms through Another concern is the GPE’s indicative which the GPE can deliver early support on a allocation. This appears to be implausibly low meaningful scale. In the light of the given the scale of the education deficit in assessment, the Board should request the South. Moreover, the US$38m figure appears GPE Secretariat to provide technical support to be based on a financing formula which to the GRSS and the local donor group in artificially deflates the country’s potential order to strengthen the planning process. entitlement. xxi This is more than a technical issue. By using education data relating to pre- South Sudan’s experience with the GPE raises partition Sudan, the GPE may have a wider concern. Notwithstanding the high underestimated by a wide margin the scale of professional standards of the Secretariat, the processes through which national plans are 29
assessed and decisions taken on whether or move towards a system of independent not to recommend endorsement remain review and assessment. In the event that plans arbitrary and opaque. The Secretariat should are not endorsed, the presumption should be not be placed in the position of acting as in favour of providing the technical support ‘judge and jury’. It is in this context that I have required to address the problems identified. argued in an earlier paper that the GPE should ure ure Educationbetter in ininvesting a South fut Sudan:
30
3. Accelerating the catch-up
What would it take in financial terms for The GRSS’s education strategy provides a set South Sudan to register a breakthrough in of credible targets. It also identifies the key education? The answer to that question will requirements for achieving these targets in depend on the level of ambition that is set. terms of teacher-training and support, Taking the GRSS’s own goals as a starting classroom construction, textbook supply, and point, we have carried out cost-estimations stipends for particularly disadvantaged social for a range of 2015 targets and associated groups. Current levels of provision planned by programmes aimed at: government and donors fall far short of these requirements. • Putting the country in touching distance of universal enrolment by 2015, with Table 1 documents the size of the gap. It learning benefits for 2.5 million children in compares the targets with the levels of primary education provision that will be achieved by 2015 under • Providing 100,000 adolescents and young current financing arrangements. The first adults with access to accelerated learning column identifies a range of critical targets for programmes to facilitate their entry into achieving the accelerated catch-up goals. formal education These range from classroom construction to • Breaking down gender disparities by teacher training and textbook provision, the providing financial support to half-a- strengthening of government capacity in million girls education planning and school management. • Reaching marginalised groups, including The targets also include provisions for pre- children displaced by armed conflict school, hard-to-reach children, girls and • Supporting secondary education including children affected by ongoing conflict. As technical vocation training for 100,000 illustrated in Column 2, current aid children. commitments fall far short of the levels required to achieve these targets. To cite Achieving these goals will require a dramatic some of gaps between target and projected scale-up of existing programmes and provision: strengthened aid partnerships. Currently, • South Sudan lacks many of the most basic South Sudan will require 3,000 additional institutional programmes required for classrooms to 2015, while current donor accelerating progress in education. There is financing will support around one-tenth of just one functioning TTI and a small number that number of County Education Centres (CECs). The • In-service training is needed for around national curriculum is still under development. 30,000 teachers and teacher-volunteers, As highlighted earlier, classrooms and books while current financing will cover just are in chronically short supply. Perhaps most 2,000 serious of all, the country does not have a • County Education Centres are critical teacher workforce equipped to raise learning delivery and outreach facilities for in- achievement levels. service training and at least one facility is required for each county – planned Identifying the human and physical provision will support the construction of infrastructure and inputs required to achieve just 14 such centres our targets is clearly not an exact science. • Even on the most conservative estimate US$10m a year would facilitate effective in- 150,000 accelerated learning/adult literacy service teacher training. And US$5m a year places are required, while planned aid will would provide half-a-million girls with a deliver just 30,000 bursary that might facilitate their entry to • Denting the gender gap in basic and lower school and reduce the likelihood of drop-out. secondary education will require bursaries Turning to the benefit side of the equation for at least half-a-million girls, while there would be significant gains from the planned financing will cover less than half increased spending. The investments outline of this number above would create a physical and human • Funding for education in humanitarian resource infrastructure equipped to: crises amounts to less than half of UN OCHA’s estimated requirements (which • Bring another 1.1 million primary school are themselves an under-estimate) age children into the education system • The final column in Table 1 provides a Improve the learning environment of ballpark figure of the financing requirements children currently in primary school • for closing the 2012-2015 financing gap. That Provide second-chance opportunities to gap is around US$1.9bn, or US$500m on an 0.2 million over-age children and young annualised basis. Factoring in an increased adults • resource mobilisation effort of US$100m Reach 0.3 million children with improved from the GRSS (see below), the aid financing early childhood provision • gap is around US$400m annually over and Allocate bursaries to 0.3 million girls, above current commitments. That gap would creating incentives to keep them in have to be covered through increased education development assistance. For comparative • Support 300,000 children affected by purposes, we estimate the combined armed conflict multilateral and bilateral aid commitment to
education between 2012 and 2015 will amount to around US$80m per annum.
Classroom construction represents the overwhelming bulk of this amount of the financing gap, reflecting the significant up-front ure ure capital costs of closing the deficit in physical infrastructure. These costs would gradually decline after 2015, though maintenance would impose additional requirements on the recurrent budget.
What is striking about the wider estimates is the relatively low cost of investments that, under the right institutional conditions, could generate very high returns in terms of learning outcomes. For example US$3m a year would be sufficient to provide all of
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Table 1 Financing Basic Education in South Sudan: Targets, Plans and Gaps (2012-2015)
Item Target Currently Gap Unit Cost Financing Planned (US$) Gap (millions Provision US$) Physical Infrastructure School construction 3,000 300 2,700 600,000 1,600 Teacher Training 8 3 5 5,000,000 25 Institutes County Education 79 14 65 2,500,000 15 Centres Learning Infrastructure Textbooks 20 million 12.5 million 7.5 million 1.5 11.5 Student Kits 6 million - 6 million 10 60 Pre-service Teacher 10,000 4,000 6,000 5,000 30 Training In-service Teacher 30,000 2,000 28,000 1000 28 Training Accelerated Learning/ 150,000 30,000 120,000 200 24 Adult Education Innovation for inclusive education Pre-school 300,000 - 300,000 200 60 Education for children 100,000 5,000 95,000 50 5 in cattle camps Bursary for girls 500,000 200,000 300,000 50 15 Building Government Capacity and Accountability Officers trained in 150 NA NA - 2 public financial management and educational planning Officers trained in 500 NA NA - 3 school supervision Head teachers with 1000 NA NA - 3 school management training Functional School 1000 NA NA - 7 Management Committees and Parent Teacher Associations Education in Emergencies Education in Emergency 300,000 50 Grand Total US$1938.5m
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These are ambitious goals. Some people will Delivery Aid Instrument – through which aid claim that they are not just ambitious, but can be integrated into the system of budget implausible. South Sudan, so the argument will transfers from central to local governments run, lacks the peace, stability and good (Box 2 ). governance needed to register progress on the proposed scale. Within the Education Ministry, the GRSS has already taken measures to build an Education We reject that view. Over the past six years Management Information System and a payroll the people of South Sudan have voted for system for teachers. Looking ahead, the decisive action on education through their Ministry needs to develop the capacity to set own actions. Despite all of the very real standards and norms for curriculum problems that characterise the policy development, school inspection, learning environment, there are 700,000 more achievement assessments, teacher training and children in school today than there were in other core functions, working through a 2005. Working through the BSF, aid donors strengthened system of teacher-training have financed service delivery, built capacity institutes and building a national centre of and made a difference to the lives of millions excellence through the college of education in of people. Non-governmental organisations Juba University. have developed practical solutions to apparently intractable problems. They are It is difficult to overstate the capacity held back from delivering more by financial constraints facing the GRSS, or the wider constraints that could be alleviated through institutional constraints facing donors. The increased aid ( Box 1 ). Ministry of Education has a pool of highly professional and committed staff, but that None of this is to understate the critical pool is limited is size. Education ministries in importance of strengthened governance. The state governments have an even weaker development of an effective public finance administrative capacity. Any large scale management system would help to create the increase in aid will have to address donor conditions under which donors could work concerns over corruption and through government budgets and national misappropriation – and President Salva Kiir systems, rather than through projects and has made strengthened governance in this parallel, off-budget arrangements. Several area a national priority. Weak coordination donors and UN agencies are working with the between donors and between NGOs creates ure ure GRSS to strengthen public finance another layer of potential impediments to management systems. Meanwhile, the GRSS increased and more effective aid. Yet none of itself has developed a credible proposal for a this precludes a significant strengthening of new financing mechanism – the local Service the aid partnership in education.
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Box 1 Scaling up and capacity building
Linked to the targets set in the GRSS’s draft education strategy, the goals set out in this report imply a high level of ambition. That ambition is achievable. The challenge is to identify approaches that deliver early results while building long-term capacity.
Meeting that challenge will require partnerships between governmental and non-governmental organisations. There is much to build on.
The education system suffered very badly during South Sudan’s civil war – but it did not disappear. It was kept alive by national and international church-based agencies and non-governmental organisations. The comprehensive peace agreement provided an opportunity to build on these foundations. Dialogue has not always been easy. However, the GRSS and non-governmental actors have worked together to address the daunting task of constructing a national education system. In researching this report we examined the work of four of the most prominent agencies involved in education. The Episcopal Church of South Sudan is one of the largest trainers of teachers in the country. Another specialised institution – Windle Trust – has built an impressive track-record in cost effective teacher training. Save the Children supports schools that are providing education to around 140,000 children and is piloting programmes in Early Childhood Care and Development – a critical but still neglected area.
The fourth organisation is a relative newcomer. The Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) has an outstanding track record in its own country in bring education to marginalised communities – and in raising learning standards. It has been operating in South Sudan since 2007. BRAC now operates 500 schools in South Sudan, many of them in conflict-affected areas. The organisation has a policy of hiring only women teachers, who are provided with short but intensive training and ongoing support. Schooling and all learning materials are provided free of charge.
Each of the four agencies works closely with the Ministry of Education and county level education authorities. Their activities are closely aligned with the national planning system. For example, the Episcopal Church and Windle Trust train teachers who will work in government schools and teacher-trainers employed by government agencies. Children in BRAC schools work to a curriculum aimed at enabling them to make the transition to grade 5 of the public education system. Save the Children works with and through government systems, with capacity-building a core priority.
We discussed with each of the four agencies a range of options for scaling-up programmes in priority areas identified in the GRSS draft education strategy. We then set a range of targets. The agencies were asked to assess feasibility, identify institutional requirements, and estimate costs over and above existing programmes. Our aim was to assess whether the agencies saw the governance environment as a binding constraint.
While that constraint was recognised, each agency was able to identify innovative approaches that would enable them to extend their reach, if the finance were available. The Episcopal Church of South Sudan and Windle Trust could potentially train 25,000 teachers over the next four years over and above their current plans at a cost of US$15m and US$10m respectively. Financial constraints in this case related mainly to the cost of recruiting trainers, hiring facilities, and providing learning materials. Similarly, BRAC identified the potential to create an additional 100,000 school places at an additional cost of US$40m for basic school construction, training and support for female teachers and the provision of textbooks and learning materials (Table 2).
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Box 1 Continued.
Table 2 The scope for early delivery in education: financial estimates for achieving specified targets (selected non-governmental organisations)
Agency Specified target Required Time Frame Resources
Episcopal Church of Sudan 15,000 teachers 15 Million 4 years trained
BRAC South Sudan 100,000 out of 40 million 4 years school children receive basic education
Save the Children in South 100,000 children 25 million 3 years Sudan in pre-schools 5,000 children in Cattle Camps
Windle Trust International 10,000 teachers 10 million 3 years trained
Debates over the respective roles of government and non-governmental organisations in education provision sometimes generate more heat than light. In the case of South Sudan, the right direction of travel is clear. The country needs a public education system that provides all children with an entitlement to receive a good quality education. That means building national planning systems with the technical, administrative and financial capacity to deliver results.
Non-governmental organisations need to avoid creating parallel structures. But as the four agencies reviewed in this box demonstrate it is possible simultaneously to build government capacity and deliver results that can transform the lives of vulnerable children.
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A student writes on a blackboard at BRAC supported High Kugi School on the outskirts of Juba, South Sudan. © UNESCO /M. Hofer (2011)
Box 2 Building capacity and working through government systems
Aid effectiveness is greatly enhanced when donors can work through national budgets overseen by strong public finance management systems. The GRSS acknowledges that current fiduciary management systems need strengthening – and that donors will continue to work through multilateral agencies with more robust arrangements. But it has also developed an innovative proposal for overseeing the financing of devolved services, including education.
At the heart of the proposal is the Local Service Delivery Aid Instrument (LSDAI). The intention is to ensure that aid for local services support is aligned to sector policies, channelled through the public financial management system, managed by government institutions, and oriented to the achievement of outcomes.
The proposed LSDAI would channel aid to finance salaries, inputs and services provided through facilities and county-level governments. At the same time, the instrument would support a range of capacity building activities. Aid funds would be earmarked against specified activities, with budget markers traceable all the way down to facilities/counties and up to the national budget. Funds would be linked to identifiable results, with reporting on outputs linked to financing.
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4. Closing the gap – delivering on the promise
Identifying financing gaps in education is one long-term development and self-reliance – a thing, closing them is another. The compact that holds out the promise of circumstances are hardly propitious. strengthened and more cost-effective results. Government spending on education has The ethical case for action is overwhelming. stagnated since 2008, thereby declining in per Having signed-up for the Education for All pupil terms. Aggression on the part of the goals and the MDGs, donors countries have government in Khartoum over the oil dispute an obligation to act on the pledges they have poses further threats. If the GRSS is forced to made – and few countries have a stronger cut oil exports there is a real danger that the claim to international support than South education budget will be hard-hit by the Sudan. inevitable austerity measures that would follow. Prospects for aid are also uncertain. Mobilising support Development assistance for education has Without understating the level of political been increasing from a low base. However, leadership required, the bottom line is that an fiscal pressures in donor countries are placing accelerated 2012-2015 catch-up plan in pressure on bilateral aid budgets – and South education for South Sudan is feasible and Sudan is seen by many donors as a high risk affordable – and the alternative is unthinkable. environment. Table 3 sets out a credible financing option, Set against these constraints there are which aims at illustrating how the US$1.6bn compelling reasons for the GRSS and its financing gap over four years could be closed development partners to act decisively on through a compact between the GRSS and its education. There are obvious risks attached development partners. to aid for education in South Sudan. At the Initial leadership has to come from the GRSS same time, development assistance itself. President Salva Kiir has signalled a clear investments have the potential to generate intention to prioritise education. That very high returns in terms of dynamic and intention is reflected in national planning inclusive economic growth, human documents and reinforced by the draft ure ure development and political stability. And there education sector strategy. The challenge now are also risks to inaction. Failure to respond is to strengthen the national budget to the hopes and aspirations of South Sudan’s commitment to education. In 2011, education children and youth will inevitably reinforce spending amounted to just 7 per cent of the social tensions, with damaging consequences national budget compared to 40 per cent for for peace-building. defence.
For the wider international community The current imbalance between spending on practical considerations and ethical defence on the one side and priorities such as imperatives provide a mutually reinforcing health and education on the other is case for action. Independence has created a unsustainable. Unresolved disputes over window of opportunity to make the transition border issues and the oil crisis create from an aid-relationship dominated by inevitable pressures to increase the military Educationbetter in ininvesting a South fut Sudan: humanitarian response towards a compact for spending. However, real security, resilience 38
against conflict and peace-building requires education, bringing an additional spending on schools, health clinics, clean US$100m to the sector annually. In the water and roads – not state-of-the art event of the oil crisis being unresolved, armaments. It is in this spirit that our this increase would have to be financed proposal envisages a doubling of through loans backed by future oil national resource mobilisation for revenues.
Table 3 Closing the financing gap (an illustrative proposal)
Additional financing (US$m/per Source of Finance annum)
Government of South Sudan
Education 100
Social welfare 11
Multilateral/Regional Organisations
Global Partnership for Education 90
International Development Association 90
African Development Bank/Fund 40
Bilateral donors
OECD 100
Non-traditional donors 30
Partnership for South Sudan
Philanthropic foundations 10
Global Business Coalition* 5
Education without borders* 2
South Sudan diaspora 2
Total US$500m * Mainly goods and services
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As our indicative estimates illustrate, this Another project provides support for enhanced domestic resource mobilisation education infrastructure in Niger. xxiv effort will not close the financing gap. Both multilateral and bilateral donors will need to Our proposal envisages the AfDB/ADF do more. South Sudan presents the reformed contributing US$30m in the form of Global Partnership on Education and the concessional loans and grants, World Bank’s International Development leveraging another US$10m from other Association (IDA). The credibility and future donors. This financing could play a critical financing of the GPE depends critically upon role in providing up-front financing for the its effectiveness in responding to the needs of construction of classrooms and teacher- countries such as South Sudan. The current training facilities under an accelerated catch- indicative allocation is an under-estimate of up programme, adding to government and several orders of magnitude. In its education donor resources. Loan elements in the strategy, the World Bank recognises the financial package could be secured against urgency of supporting the right to education future streams of revenue from oil exports. in conflict-affected states – and this was a Bilateral donors and the European Union theme in the Bank’s flagship 2011 World should also step up to the plate. Our Development Report. With current proposal envisages traditional OECD commitments to basic education through IDA donors mobilising another US$100m running at very low levels for sub-Saharan annually, with another US$30m coming Africa and the World Bank’s President having from non-traditional donors such as the pledged a substantial increase in IDA support Gulf States and China. Around half of this for education, South Sudan is a litmus test. In amount could come from the major donors this context, there is scope for a GPE- currently operating in the country and the IDA co-financing arrangement to European Union, with the balance provided by mobilise another US$180 million. donors – including France, Germany and Japan The Africa Development Bank (AfDB) and its - currently operating on a modest scale in concessional arm, the African Development education. South Sudan also provides an Fund (ADF), have the potential to play a opportunity for the OECD’s Development leadership role in South Sudan. xxii Both the Assistance Committee (DAC) donors to join AfDB and the ADF have extensive experience with non-traditional donors in a joined up of working in fragile states (in 2008 the AfDB strategy to support progress in education. ure ure created a Fragile States Facility), with a core With a significant presence in the country and area of expertise in areas such as a strong record in infrastructure provision, infrastructure development, capacity-building China would appear to be well placed to and governance. xxiii support classroom construction.
Several countries have used AfDB support to There are obvious dangers in involving leverage finance from other sources, including multiple donors in an ambitious programme the Arab Development Bank in Africa. In one for scaling up aid. If individual donors recent operation, the AfDB provided US$30m operated through their own reporting in co-financing for a major schools systems and independent projects, using their construction and education quality own preferred models of delivery, an already programme in Tanzania, supplementing over-stretched education ministry would be swamped by new demands. Education delivery Educationbetter in ininvesting a South fut Sudan: financing from government and donors. would become increasingly fragmented. 40
Financial management and the development of sector, philanthropic foundations, private effective budget reporting systems would companies and charities have come together suffer. to provide finance, goods (such as low cost medicines) and services (including training of For all of these reasons South Sudan needs a health workers and financial management) in pooled fund in education. Just as the BSF support of the international development enabled donors to align and coordinate their goals. Much of that support has been activities behind government plans, the pooled channelled through the global public health fund in education would harness donor funds. There is currently no counterpart to activity to the national strategy. The planning these funds in education. If there were, it and reporting system would operate through could be linked to the national pooled fund. the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Education. Like the BSF, financial management The gap could be filled by building on would be provided by a company jointly foundations that are already in place. In the selected by donors and the GRSS. In same way that the global health funds have Afghanistan, the pooled funding system has enabled a wide range of actors to come helped to transform the education system in a together in support of shared development challenging fragile state environment. There is goals, the GPE could provide a multilateral no reason that a pooled fund in education channel for support to South Sudan. operating on a stand-alone basis or as part of a wider mechanism could not produce similar This would open the door to new results. partnerships. Rather than avoid South Sudan because of the high start-up costs of Studies from around the world demonstrate establishing a programme, or because of the that aid is at its most effective when operating transaction costs associated with creating new through national budgets overseen by projects, managing fiduciary risk, and engaging effective public finance management systems. with over-stretched governments agencies, Concerns over fiduciary risk have prevented philanthropic foundations, private companies, any donors from operating through the and public institutions could operate through GRSS’s budget. However, several donors and a single coordinating mechanism. UN agencies are supporting the development of more robust budget and financial New avenues for support could be opened. management systems. As these systems Respected international institutions such as develop, it is important that donors identify the Open University, MIT, and New York opportunities for working through line University operating open educational ministries. One example of an innovative resource systems could be linked to teacher programme in this area is the Local Service training centres operated by government or Delivery Aid Instrument, which currently non-governmental organisations, to colleges operates on a pilot basis but could be scaled- and to secondary schools, providing them up. with access to training modules, assessment exercises, and course materials. With Sudan Building new partnerships – linking pooled making the difficult transition from an Arab- funds based to an English language curriculum, tailored English language courses could be Looking beyond traditional bilateral and developed. multilateral sources, there are opportunities for mobilising wider support. In the health
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Opportunities that are currently closed off County Support Bases – an emerging could be exploited. Take the case of ICT. Like infrastructure other countries across Africa, South Sudan has an opportunity to leapfrog technologies. Effective implementation of an accelerated Instead of focusing their efforts on traditional catch-up plan in education will require ‘e-learning’, providing students and teachers cooperation with actors beyond the sector. It with access to the web via personal is vital that the GRSS and its development computers, the government and its partners partners seize every opportunity for could tap into ‘m-learning’. Today, the hand- delivering education to children, youth, and held mobile is becoming a supercomputer. adults. With ‘3G’ technologies and a satellite phone Progress does not have to wait upon the link, teachers can download material from the completion of programmes for school web and use a multi-media projector to construction or teacher training. Education display it on a classroom wall. It is estimated can be provided on a temporary basis in a that South Sudan will need 12 million range of civic facilities, community centres and textbooks to cover all of the children in non-governmental facilities. Similarly, schools primary school. Should it import all of these can double-up as sites for the provision of books? Or should it use tablets and e-readers vital child and maternal health services. An that can download books from a USB device? effective pooled fund in education would have The problem in all of these areas is that to avoid operating in a narrowly defined philanthropic foundations, companies and ‘schools-silo’ and exploit to the full the academic institutions wishing to support the opportunities created by wider initiatives. education sector in South Sudan face high One initiative merits special consideration. transaction costs and significant barriers to The United Nations Mission in South Sudan entry because of the risks associated with any (UNMISS) is developing a decentralised intervention. These barriers could be presence at state and county levels under its lowered, as they have been through the global wide-ranging remit to provide protection and health funds, by operating through a support for recovery, capacity-building and multilateral framework linked in turn to a peace-building efforts. To this end, it is pooled fund in the education sector. constructing a network of County Support Bases (CSBs) equipped to facilitate the work ure ure of agencies working in some of the least accessible and conflict-affected parts of the country. These CSBs could provide a platform for a cost-effective peace dividend in education and other sector ( Box 3 ).
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Box 3 Delivering the peace dividend – a role for County Support Bases (CSBs)
Many non-governmental organisations and other agencies have a capacity to scale-up their work in delivering basic services and building capacity. They are often constrained by interlocking problems of access and finance. Large areas of South Sudan are inaccessible for parts of the year, especially in the rainy season. Conflict creates further hazards. Lacking the financial resources to develop a service-delivery infrastructure in remote and conflict-affected areas, development agencies have a limited reach.
Proposals from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) could help to change this picture. The aim is to create a network of County Support Bases (CSBs) across the country. Staffed and equipped to facilitate the activities of agencies seeking to intensify their work with counterparts in government and local communities, the CSBs have the potential to spread costs, extend support to highly marginalised areas that are hard-to-reach, and deliver results.
The current ambition is to secure approval for the construction of nineteen CSBs over the next year rising to thirty-five after three years. This is in addition to UNMISS’s existing presence in ten state capitals. With 60 percent of the country inaccessible for six months of the year, CSBs can help to ensure that the UN mission is present and active in the most remote and conflict-prone areas. They will have the additional benefit of providing a logistics presence at the county level for state institutions, UN agencies and development partners which can be used to support implementation of the South Sudan Development Plan (SSDP). The proposed design of the CSBs includes provision for two classroom sized buildings equipped with internet access, community radio and resources to support a range of learning activities.
This represents an immense opportunity for education. The CSBs could become a focal point not just for adult learning, but for the provision of teacher-training and support activities, early childhood support, and training for county-level education officials. They have the potential to facilitate highly cost-effective interventions that deliver significant – and early – results. By meeting the capital costs of construction and the recurrent costs of infrastructure provision, the CSBs would generate significant economies of scale. Agencies working in education and other sectors would be able to expand and intensify their work with local counterparts at a lower cost by tapping into a shared development resource. Critically, the CSBs could provide a networked platform for delivering an education peace dividend in some of the country’s most high risk and unstable areas.
Given the potentially very high returns and cost-effectiveness the CSBs, consideration should be given to a scaled-up initiative. Funding for twenty-five centres has been obtained from Norway and the Netherlands, with project execution taking place through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Current donors should urgently allocate resources for the additional ten CSBs envisaged in the current plan. At the same time, there are strong grounds for developing a scaled- up initiative that would provide all seventy-nine counties with a CSB by 2015. Funding could be drawn from a range of non-traditional sources identified in Table 2, including China. There is also scope for requesting support from the AfDB/ADF to leverage additional finance from a range of agencies, including philanthropic foundations.
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Conclusion
South Sudan’s children have suffered for long The strategy would require US$400m in enough. They have the right to an education – additional aid annually for the period 2012- and a right to expect the international 2015, along with increased resource community to act decisively on their behalf. mobilisation on the part of government. With the 2015 deadline for the MDGs and These are significant investments. But the the Education for All commitments looming, potential returns are very high. The proposed South Sudan is a test case for measuring the programme would deliver an education peace strength of these commitments. In the dividend that puts another 1 million children absence of a concerted aid effort, the country in school, improves the quality of education will fail in its ambitious effort to catch-up the for 2.5 million learners, and provides a ground it has lost in education as a result of second-chance to many children who lost out civil war, human rights abuse and endemic on an education in their earlier years. Benefits poverty. beyond the education sector would be reflected in enhanced prospects for economic This paper sets out a strategy for an growth, jobs creation, and improved health. accelerated catch-up programme in education.
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Hai Tokyo School classroom, supported by BRAC, in Juba, South Sudan. © UNESCO /M. Hofer (2011) Educationbetter in ininvesting a South fut Sudan:
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Endnotes
i) globalpartnership.org/about-us/about-the-partnership ii) Government of South Sudan (2011) South Sudan Development Plan. Juba iii) GRSS Ministry of General Education and Instruction (2011) Education Sector Strategic Plan 2012/13 - 2016/17: Ensuring Non-One is Left Behind. Juba iv) GRSS Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (2010) Donor Book 2010. Juba v) Details taken from reports in the Financial Times , including: http://on.ft.com/wP3w14 vi) UNICEF (2011) Health and Nutrition Programme in South Sudan. Juba vii) UNICEF (2011) Children and Youth Consultation Report. Juba viii) GRSS MoGEI (2011) ix) World Bank (2011) South Sudan Education Status Report. Juba x) Estimates based on 2008 Population Census xi) UNESCO (2011) Building for a Better Future: Education for an Independent South Sudan. Paris xii) GRSS MoGEI (2011) xiii) World Bank-Global Partnership for Education (2011) Education in South Sudan: Status and Challenges for a New System . Washington xiv) Ibid. xv) GRSS Ministry of Education (2011) Education Statistics for Southern Sudan. National Statistics Booklet 2010 . Juba xvi) Ibid. xvii) This assumes a pupil-teacher ratio of 40:1 xviii) List of all humanitarian pledges, commitments & contributions in 2011 at http://fts.unocha.org xix) Fenton, Wendy (2008) NGO perspectives and recommendations on pooled funding mechanisms in Southern Sudan xx) globalpartnership.org/about-us/about-the-partnership xxi) The Global Partnership for Education uses an indicative allocation formula that gives scores for a range of factors including education needs, public institutions and expenditure. The data used for South Sudan is merged with Sudan, which makes the exercise of questionable relevance. xxii) The AfDB uses its triple AAA rating to raise money on international markets which is lent to governments at below commercial market interest rates. The ADF mobilised a record US$9.1bn from donors during its replenishment for the period 2011-2013. The facility provides grants and interest free loans with a repayment period of fifty years and a grace period of 10 years. xxiii) afdb.org/en/topics-and-sectors/initiatives-partnerships/fragile-states-facility xxiv) afdb.org/en/news-and-events/article/afdb-and-niger-sign-fcfa-41-billion-budget-support-and- education-support-agreement-7632
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i ii South Sudan Development Plan. GRSS, Juba, 2011 iii Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) 2012/13-2016/17: Ensuring Non-One is Left Behind, MoGEI, Juba, 2011 iv 2010 Donor Book. Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning. Government of South Sudan. v Details taken from reports in the Financial Times , including: http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/0ece7e2c-4c1c- 11e1-98dd-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1pDyyVUqu ; http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/dd8bfa52-4a8f-11e1-a11e- 00144feabdc0.html#axzz1pDyyVUqu
vi UNICEF in South Sudan, Health and Nutrition Programme, Juba, 2011 vii Children and Youth Consultation Report, UNICEF, Juba 2011 viii Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) 2012/13-2016/17: ix South Sudan Education Status Report. World Bank. Juba, 2011. x Estimates based on 2008 Population Census xi Building for a Better Future: Education for an Independent South Sudan, UNESCO, 2011 xii Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) 2012/13-2016/17 xiii xiii Education in South Sudan: Status and Challenges for a New System, World Bank-Global Partnership for Education, Washington, 2011 xiv Education in South Sudan: Status and Challenges for a New System, World Bank-Global Partnership for Education, Washington, 2011 xv Education Statistics for Southern Sudan, GRSS, Juba, 2011 xvi Stattistical Booklet: Education. Ministry of Education. 2011. xvii This assumes a pupil-teacher ratio of 40:1 xviii This report is one of a series released to support Gordon and Sarah List of all humanitarian pledges, commitments & contributions in 2011 ReportBrown’s as of 20-February-2012 Education http://fts.unocha.org For All campaign.. We are working to find xix DFID basic services xx solutions to the global education crisis - boosting the number of http://www.globalpartnership.org/about-us/about-the-partnership/ xxi The Globalchildren Partnership in primary for Education schools uses an worldwide, indicative allocation and partneriformula thatng gives with scores for a range of factors including education needs, public institutions and expenditure. The data used for South Sudan is mergedgovernment, with Sudan, which business makes the andexercise non-profit of questionable leaders relevance. and organisations across xxii The theAfDB globeuses its tripleto achieve AAA rating the to raise Millennium money on international Development markets Goa whichl isof lent universal to governme nts at below commercial market interest rates. The ADF mobilised a record US$9.1bn from donors during its replenishmentprimary for theeducation period 2011-2013. by 2015. The facility provides grants and interest free loans with a repayment period of fifty years and a grace period of 10 years. xxiii http://www.afdb.org/en/topics-and-sectors/initiatiLearn about the campaign at gordonandsarahbrown.comves-partnerships/fragile-states-facility/ xxiv http://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/article/afdb-and-niger-sign-fcfa-41-billion-budget-support-and- ure ure education-support-agreement-7632/
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