PHOTO: Some of schoolgirls who attended the [belated] celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child at the Mangateen displaced persons’ camp in Juba - Credit: Kafuki Jada/Eye Radio - Octo. 18, 2022

UNESCO has called for concerted efforts among stakeholders to enroll more children, especially girls in the school.

Tap Raj, UNESCO’s head of education in South Sudan made the remarks on Tuesday, during the [belated] celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child at the Mangateen displaced persons’ camp in Juba.

The education expert said he is very concerned about 2.8 million children who are out of school in the country.

Raj said the majority of the out-of-school children are girls.

He pointed out that there is a need for partners to identify accessible schools to enroll some of these children.

However, Raj blames parents who engage girls in household activities and those who marry off their underage daughters.

“South Sudan needs to put a lot of effort into bringing more children to the school. We all know 2.8 million school children are out of school and many of them are girls and that is a big issue in South Sudan,” said Raj.

“This is not the only issue of South Sudan; many least developed countries in the world are suffering from the same problem.”

The International Day of the Girl Child is observed on October 11^th each year, to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.