Education Cluster Emergency Rapid Assessment Report
Ikotos County, Eastern Equatoria State 10-13 February 2014
Executive Summary
The fighting which erupted in Juba first, and in the northern states later, made thousands of people take refuge in other states such as Eastern Equatoria. The IDPs currently present in Ikotos County mainly come from Bor, Malakal, Bentui and Juba. Ikotos county local authorities alerted AVSI (INGO) of a continuous influx of IDPs since the crisis begun on the 15th December 2013. AVSI mobilized and reached out to the scattered IDP community in order to conduct needs assessment. The assessment took place in the period from 10th to 13th February 2014 in Ikotos, Imotong and Chahari payams.
The objectives of the assessment were to find out the number of IDPs within Ikotos County and to identify the immediate education needs of IDPs as well as the total number of IDPs children attending schools and the IDPs school age children not yet in schools. Finally according to the EMIS 2013 statistics, Ikotos County in Eastern Equatoria State had 15,142 children in primary schools. Since the crisis started in mid December 2013, number of children has been significantly increased, also considering that the influx of IDPs is still ongoing.
Recommended responses: The school children will need assistance in term of materials, schools fees, uniforms. The enrollment has increased with number of IDPs and materials will be needed to support the Education for IDPs children and the regular schooling of the host community children. Moreover, the teachers and education actors need to be trained in psycho-social support in order to have the skills and knowledge to face the challenges these emergency affected children are facing.
Emergency Context
The IDPs urgently need food assistance, health care services, clean water, latrines and protection. The EE Government asked the Ikotos County authorities to allocate some land to settle the IDPs population. This land has already been identified, around two kilometres outside Ikotos Town on the main road to Tsertenia. This site will need the drilling of a borehole and the provision of health centre and school facilities. At the moment, within Ikotos town, IDPs report to be chased away from water points and an increased feeling of isolation and segregation from the host community. Moreover, IDP community is not using public latrines, open defecation practices are widespread. Regarding education, this influx of IDPs children is affecting the schools capabilities to provide quality education, given the challenges they were already facing in terms of learning spaces,
1 scholastic materials, and availability of sanitation facilities. Ikotos P/S for instance doesn’t have permanent structures and sanitation facilities at all. AIC P/S has only one block of classrooms and no sanitation facilities. Moreover, these IDPs families cannot afford the payment of schools fees. The situation is seriously affecting the host community at large in Ikotos town. In Imotong, IDPs population has already settled in a camp, which is 40 minutes walking away of the main town. The source of water is open surface water shared with the host community; it is not suitable for human consumption. Nevertheless, no community tensions were reported. The mainly affected population groups are women and children. IDPs children are currently schooling at the host community primary school. The structure of the school is permanent but no sanitation facilities and hand washing pints. In Isohe, Chahari Payam, IDPs are all scattered within the town staying with their relatives. They are schooling at St. Kizito P/S within Isohe village. The school facilities were already congested with only one classroom per class with a ratio of 125:1, not considering the nursery section.
Team Composition, Objectives and Methodology
The team comprised of AVSI education staff, as well as RRC, Ikotos County Education Department, Social Development and Information County Departments’ representatives. The assessment was jointly conducted with AVSI health outreach staff so that it provided invaluable information on other cross-cutting challenges that the IDP community is facing currently.
S/n. Name in full Organization Title E-mail Contact 1 Lockuk Makmoi AVSI Social Worker 0914136623 2 Ohide Johnson Paul AVSI Social Worker 0912940784 3 Thomas Giusto County Inspector of basic Education education Department 4 Nicolas Odua SSRRC Director 0917969927
Objectives of the assessment To identify the number of school age children among the IDPs population To identify the number of IDPs children who are attending the schools To identify their immediate needs in relation to education To assess the existing learning spaces To assess the preparedness of teachers and education actors at large in supporting the IDPs children
The assessment was carried out using observation and interviews in schools but also though IDPs registration.
Major Findings
The number of IDPs children who are affected is seen below:
2 Ikotos Town Male: 134 Female: 141 Total: 275 school age children Imotong Town Male: 34 Female: 31 Total: 65 school age children Isohe Town (Chahari Payam) Male: 25 Female: 33 Total: 58 school age children
IDPs children: Male 193 Female: 205 Total: 398
Currently the enrolment has increased because of IDPs and host community children. Therefore the school children will need assistance in terms of materials, school fees, uniforms. Moreover, many of the school facilities are not equipped to welcome IDPs children in terms of learning spaces and sanitation facilities. The schools should be provided with temporary learning spaces and gender segregated latrines. There is also need for teacher training on emergency response and psycho social support as they have never received such kind of training. Finally, schools administration should not charge IDPs children for school fees.
Conclusions
The priority responses include: Provision of scholastic materials and recreational kits Provision of temporary learning spaces Provision of temporary gender segregate latrines Food assistance Health services as immunization Access to clean water Training for teachers and PTAs in psycho social support
This kind of intervention will support not only IDPs children but also the host community children at large, given the challenges they were already facing in terms of delivery quality education service and suitability of leaning environments. The Education cluster will meet this month to share and draft a response plan lined on the findings as arising from the rapid needs assessment in Ikotos and other Counties affected by the emergency in EE.
Annexes
St. Matthew P/S, Ikotos Age 6-18 Number of host community children Male 654 affected
3 Female 456
Number of IDPS children affected Male 38
Female 43
Total 1181
Ikotos P/S, Ikotos Age 6-18 Number of host community children Male 175 affected Female 180
Number of IDPS children affected Male 20
Female 25
Total 340 AIC P/S, Ikotos Age 6-18 Number of host community children Male 530 affected Female 407
Number of IDPS children affected Male 69
Female 62
Total 1066
St. Matthew S/S, Ikotos Age 6-18 Number of host community children Male 192 affected Female 110
Number of IDPS children affected Male
Female 5
Total 207
Imotong P/S, Imotong Age 6-18
4 Number of host community children Male 245 affected Female 105
Number of IDPS children affected Male 34
Female 31
Total 415
St. Kizito P/S, Isohe Age 6-18 Number of host community children Male 660 affected Female 540
Number of IDPS children affected Male 25
Female 31
Total 1256
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