South Sudan to roll out school learning through radio due to COVID-19

JUBA, April 9 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan on Thursday revealed plans to roll out distance-learning programs on the radio for children out of school due to the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Awut Deng Achuil, Minister of General Education and Instruction, said that the distance learning program will be supported by partners such as United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Girls Education in South Sudan (GESS), an initiative supported by the British government.

"Today is a very important day for the ministry of general education and instruction. We are launching a distance-learning program for our learners as a result of the response to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic," she told journalists in Juba.

Achuil disclosed that the program will help deliver lessons on core subjects such as English language, mathematics, and science over the radio to cover at least the majority of learners in rural areas.

South Sudan has so far reported three cases who have tested positive for COVID-19 since last week.

The UNICEF has already donated 5,000 microphones which would be used for conveying messages to communities.

Achuil urged parents to permit their children to listen to the radio at the scheduled time, noting that school lessons will be delivered in the morning and evening hours.

"I know our girls will suffer most in this particular time, as they would be engaged with household chores. I am asking parents especially our mothers to allow the girls time to do school work," she added.

Achuil said they will not turn schools into isolation or treatment centers for COVID-19 patients and also promised to disinfect all schools in the country before their reopening. Enditem