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Central Equatoria Governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony has directed the establishment of a secondary school in Lainya County to be named after veteran freedom fighter Aggrey Jaden.

The school establishment of the school is apparently in response to a desperate plea from local communities in February 2024 about a dysfunctional education in Lainya.

“Based on the powers conferred upon the leadership, I (Gov Adil) hereby effect for establishment of Aggrey Jaden Senior Secondary School,” Adil said in a statement from his office.

The governor also directed the state Ministry of General Education and Instructions to swiftly incorporate the new secondary school among the government aided schools.

Thousands of displaced civilians who returned home to Lainya from the refugee camps are reportedly dismayed that there is not a single secondary school in the area, a situation that has led to increasing dropouts.

The paramount chief of Lainya, Mathew Ladu John, told Eye Radio that he feared the absence of high schools has caused a rise in Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases including teenage pregnancies and forced marriages.

Mr. Lado called on the government to construct secondary schools in Lainya so that children can return to learning.

“I am calling on our government to at least build a senior school in Lainya because there is an increase in the population due to the coming of returnees,” he said in an interview with Eye Radio.

“There are a lot of children who have finished primary 8, but they stay without further studies because there’s no money to take them to Uganda or other places.”

Currently, there’s only one government high school in Lainya – Loka Secondary School – which is not currently operational after it was badly damaged during the conflict in 2016.

Lainya Commissioner Emmanuel Khamis Richard, confirmed the educational challenges facing his people in an interview with Eye Radio at the time.

Khamis said thousands of people have come back from the refugees’ camps in Uganda and the region, only to find no high schools in the area.

He said the population of Lainya was more than 50,000 people, adding that its possible increase with the prevalence of peace, will also lead to more children unable to further their studies.