The Ministry of General Education and the University of Juba have launched a Certificate and Diploma Curriculum for Primary Education.

This is aimed at providing more focus on the needs of pupils and students at their specific educational levels; early childhood, primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

Since 2012, South Sudan has been using a unified curriculum called the ‘National Professional Standards’ for teacher-trainees for all these levels.

It provides seven areas of competence, including knowledge of learners, knowledge of subject, knowledge of teaching skills and methods and knowledge of assessment and evaluation of learners.

Other areas are knowledge of the teaching environment, professional development and ethics and codes of conduct.

But, General Education Minister Deng Deng Hoc said each level of education differs from the other and needs its own special attention:

“Primary school teachers, secondary school teachers, teachers in nursery school, even further as adult education are trained using this national professional standards. Of course the emphasis differs from one contact to another.”

He said the curriculum for primary education teachers will focus only on the needs of primary school children but still based on the seven areas of competence.

Minister Deng added that the Ministry of General Education and partners will also develop curricula for other education levels.

This new curriculum, according to him, will be used by all institutions that offer education courses.