President Salva Kiir has directed parents and guardians to send their children to schools as the government implements the free education policy.
Kiir made the remarks on Saturday while addressing thousands of people at Wau stadium on his way to Warrap, to attend the Catholic Church’s 100th anniversary in the state.
The president also encourages parents to change their perception of girls and grant them their equal rights to education as boys.
“We must make progress in educating girls. In the past, the family viewed girls from a commercial point of view, and the girl is the property that could be bought and sold in the event of marriage,” he said at the public rally in Wau.
“We no longer live in the same era of keeping girls out of school, all children must be sent to school.”
Kiir also asked the public schools teachers to observe the new policy and not demand money from children.
“We announced free education to contribute to the family by providing educational opportunities and reducing expenses due to high school registration fees. Therefore, all teachers should implement the free education order.”
Last month, President Kiir directed relevant government ministries to ensure that primary and secondary education is free throughout the country
The president says education is the priority of his administration and that the government has decided to impose free education to help families with high registration fees.
The free education policy has been welcomed by civil society and rights groups, as an important step to help thousands of children return to school.
South Sudan has the world’s highest proportion of out-of-school children, with 72 percent of children out of school, according to UNICEF.
A 2020 World Bank report also indicated that only 48 percent of South Sudan youth are literate.