04/05/2026
SOUTH SUDAN UNION OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS REJECTS THE PLANNED CHANGE OF ACADEMIC CALENDAR FOR SCHOOL TO OPEN IN APRIL EVERY YEAR.
Abstract
The South Sudan Union of Private School is an umbrella organisation of all PRIVATE schools in South Sudan founded in July 2020. It is Structured by interim leadership based in Juba and state coordinators in each state of the 10 states of South Sudan plus 3 administrative areas. South Sudan Union of Private schools is the legal representative and voice of all over 500 private schools in South Sudan!
Our current National Education Calendar authorises schools to open for 1st term in the first week of February every year, and they close in the last week of November every year with THREE TERMS A YEAR.
Four Weeks ago, Eye Radio and other media Houses reported approval of new National Academic Calendar by the Service Cluster Headed by H.E Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, the Vice President for Service Cluster which Includes the National Ministry of General Education and Instructions.
South Sudan UNION of Private schools rejects the planned Change of Current Acadmic Calender because of the following reasons.
1- Stick to the current academic calendar because Heatwave is not yearly, Heatwave period is also short and does not exceed three weeks. The current Caledndar is comprehensive and covers the Syllabuses adequately and lastly it aligns with Regional Academic Calendars of East Africa Community of which we are, a member.
2- The planned change of academic Calendar Lacks public popuarity and endorsement.
For Ministry of General Education in particular and govt of South Sudan to change the academic Calendar is a big policy and cannot be decided by the Service Cluster or cannot be decided by the National Ministry alone. This needs stake holders in Education sector Such as the Union of Private Schools, it needs Education Non governmental Organisations, it needs Education Partners, it needs National Parliament, it needs the Council of Ministers ans etc to be widely consulted and agree with it before it is effective because Education is the future of the country .
3- Three Weeks Heatwave Cannot be managed fairly. Remember, the Heatwave is not yearly, and it is only a very short period of time. We can adopt the break for only three weeks, we can order schools to operate for morning hours only for three weeks, the Ministry can mandate and regulate all schools in the country to have permanent structures and have some cooling or fanning systems to manage the Heatwave.
4- No uniformedclimate geographyy in South Sudan.
If the govt surely plans to change the academic calendar due to Heatwaves, what reason will the Ministry tell a parent located in Kaya, Morrobo, Yei, Pachalla, Chukudum, Ikwotos, Tsertenya, Kajokeji, Torit, Mundri, Maridi, Yambio, Palotaka, Magwi,Lainya,jebel Buma,Tumbura, Nzara, even in Bor, Yirol and etc which are cooler than other places in the country?
5- It is a copy of Sudan( Khartoum) academic Calendar. Imagine Sudan is governed by Sharia Law with strict policies, Sudan has no Ni**er groups and Crew and Sudam has no Freedom compared to Sudan where there are so many factors that can mislead the children. Imagine keeping the children out of schools for a long period of 4 months will make so many children to drop out of schools and the this Calendar itself will pull down the govt policy of letting all the school aged children to go to school.. copying Sudan that we divorced few years ago because of so many factors including education factor is like a man who marries a new wife and wants the new wife to behave and do things like the old divorced wife!
6- The world is changing progressively. Today, it is 21st Century unlike over years ago. We now have drugs, we have Ni**ers, We have spoiled generation, we have an exposed generation to digital world we have Social media such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Tiktok ans etc generation that needs to be kept in school for more times than being kept at home. We predict with a researc, it is Less than 5 countries in the whole world that keep children at home for longer holidays months like the Sudan and why should we in South Sudan refuse to move with the Majority world??
7- Regional Question or Block. Lastly we are a subscribed member of East Africa Community and should have to Align our Education Calendar with the Region. The Current academic calendar corresponds and conforms with East Africa Community Countries we should stick it to it than changing away from the Regional Academic Calendar.
Because of the above reason we reject the planned change of academic Calendar and we shall stand firm to reject it coz it is a harm to our nation, it is a harm to the future of our children and it is a harm to the fight for illiteracy in the country. This change of academic Calendar is a fight against our govt policy of eradication of Illiteracy in South Sudan!
Thanks
By South Sudan National Union of Private schools Leadership.
