The World’s Youngest Country
South Sudan in Brief
After a long and protracted civil war, South Sudan gained independence in 2011; making it the world’s youngest country.
Shortly after independence, two significant internal conflicts over political contestation broke out – first in December 2013, then in July 2016.
Despite these conflicts ending with a peace agreement in 2018, South Sudan continues to face immense political, institutional, social and economic challenges.
It is difficult to imagine lasting peace and prosperity in South Sudan without a new generation of educated and ethical leaders. The country needs a new generation to become the foundation for a professional class to drive social and economic transformation in the years to come. Investment in quality education is absolutely crucial to attain this hope.
Access to Education
The country has the highest rate of the number of out-of-school children in the world with >2.8 million children receiving no education at all.
Expected years of schooling-5.3 years
Mean years of schooling- 4.8 years.
Education Quality
Only ~15% of teachers have requisite qualifications, and most teachers receive insufficient training.
In many schools, the student-teacher ratio is over 100 students to 1 teacher.
As a result, less than 7% of primary school children in South Sudan are proficient in reading and less than 12% are proficient in mathematics