Juba Technical Secondary School/ Courtesy photo

Parents of learners at the Juba Technical School have petitioned the Minister of General Education over a move to lease parts of the school to a foreign investor.

They protested in the company of the school board of directors’ on Monday.

According to them, a Turkish investor has been given a section of the land to build an international school within the school premises.

“We put our plea and petition regarding Juba Technical School where there are Turkish investors who want to build an international school within the school,” said Adam Taban, a member of the school board of directors.

They did not specify the investment company.

But in a letter dated 18^th of October, addressed to the Executive Director in the office of Central Equatoria State governor- the Vice President for Service Cluster, Hussein Abdelbagi Akol requested Emmanuel Adil, General Education Minister, Awut Deng Achuil, and Juba County Commissioner for a meeting concerning the school land.

“The agenda of the meeting is the issue of land proposed for the Turkish Maarif Foundation’s Juba International School Project”, the letter by Ayana Garang, Abdelbagi’s Executive Director states read.

The Juba Technical school parents say they do not oppose such development, but they said a school cannot be built within a school.

“We  as parents are not against any development of the school, but a school can not be built within a school,” Taban added

Reacting to the matter, Minister Awut said, her ministry is going to investigate the matter, adding the school was demarcated by the government.

“So we had a petition from the parents of Juba Technical School and I think it is our collective responsibility whether a State, County, and Boma levels -everyone,  and the chairman of the service cluster, Vice President Abdelbagi Akol will have to look into the matter.”

The respective individuals mentioned in the letter are yet to comment on the matter.