Education in Aweil

This data and analysis are based on the Community-Based Assessment of Reintegration and Absorption Capacity in Northern Bahr el Ghazal (NBeG), South Sudan (December 2024). The assessment examines the integration status of displaced and returned households living in NBeG, Aweil Central, North, West and East counties, and evaluates the area’s capacity to welcome additional arrivals.

In South Sudan, the needs of refugees are integrated into different education policies and strategies. The major enabling education policies are the General Education Act 2012, the National General Education Policy 2023-2027, the 2014 National Inclusive Education Policy position paper, the South Sudan Vision 2040, and the South Sudan General Education Sector Plan (2023-2027).

The education infrastructure profiled for the assessment in NBeG includes 86 schools, with the Ministry of Education being the primary administrator, followed by Faith-Based Organizations and private entities. 22% of schools face serious infrastructure challenges: only a handful of schools have access to electricity, and a quarter lack water access. Primary schools in the area vary in size, with most (34 out of 71) accommodating 100-500 students. Secondary schools are generally smaller, with most facilities serving 50-100 students. 77% of schools have displaced students, with displaced persons constituting around 18% of the student population.

Enrolment rates are high at the primary level but decline at the secondary level, reflecting financial and infrastructure-related barriers. Schools across the region face significant resource shortages, with many lacking classrooms, toilets, and basic learning materials such as textbooks and desks. Overcrowding is a widespread challenge, compounded by a severe shortage of qualified teachers, many of whom remain unpaid or untrained. In areas like Nyalath and Baac, makeshift “under-tree” schools highlight the urgency of investing in permanent, functional facilities.

The assessment categorised educational facilities based on their service capacity thresholds, based on national Government and international Sphere Standards

Education infrastructure is stretched to its limits, with schools in Nyalath operating beyond maximum capacity. Across the region, 24 out of 85 facilities fail to meet minimum standards, largely due to the absence of toilets and poor building conditions. Teacher shortages remain a critical bottleneck.

Based on quality scoring metrics, education facilities scored 45 out of 100 in Northern Bahr el Ghazl given aggregated scores on several indicators. Facilities in this location scored well across the indicators for cleanliness, water access and the condition of the building. In Northern Bahr el Ghazal education facilities also scored notably higher on availability of chalkboards than in other assessed locations. However, poor scores were achieved across a number of indicators such as attendance, hygiene initiatives, existence of school fees, seating adequacy and stationery availability, highlighting that that there are significant quality concerns beyond the number of available teachers. 

Improved Educational Infrastructure: By addressing quality concerns faced by schools in these areas, development actors could increase the maximum operating capacity of education infrastructure in the region by an additional 31,656 students without the employment of any additional teachers. However, there remain significant quality challenges, with education infrastructure hindered by overcrowding, under-resourced schools, and unpaid teachers, let alone an absence of permanent structures for schools in areas like Apada and Warawar, which also lack basic water and hygiene facilities.

Teacher shortages and delayed payments must be resolved through collaboration with local authorities to ensure timely salaries and recruit additional staff. Essential learning materials, including textbooks, desks, and supplies, should be distributed to improve education quality. Introducing school feeding programs can further enhance attendance and link nutrition with educational outcomes, particularly in food-insecure areas. A regional approach should be applied, with Nyalath particularly underserved, requiring an additional 86 teachers to even meet maximum capacity standards – in this location, additional schools and teachers should be a priority.

The estimated number of teachers required to fill that gap for each location is presented in the table below.