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EDUCATION RAPID NEEDS ASSESSMENT
©Unity State Education Cluster/2014
4th August 2014
For any query or further information, contact:
[email protected] or [email protected] Unity State, South Sudan
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Bentiu and the neighbouring town of Rubkona are amongst the worst hit by the brutal armed conflict that
has engulfed South Sudan since December 2013.Joint efforts by the humanitarian community and the
UNMISS administration to create an inhabitable environment for IDPs in the PoC has been inhibited by
constant inundation of the IDP settlements. More than 50,000 PoCs are hosted in UNMISS camp base.
Schools are not exceptions of the areas affected by the impact of the conflict. The education cluster
conducted Rapid Assessment in May 2014.The assessment covered 16 schools in Bentiu and Rubkona
counties that were accessible. Noting the changing situations, the cluster agreed to conduct another
assessment as a follow up to the previous one. Therefore, the aim of this assessment was to under stand
the general situation in the schools in Bentiu and Rubkona Counties in order to plan well and restart
education activities in follow up to the Rapid Assessment conducted in May 2014.The assessment team
used survey – walking into schools, key informant interviews – with teachers and parents, and
observation as the assessment methodology,
The findings of the assessment highlight that most of the schools surveyed (seven) in Bentiu are
abandoned except Bentiu B Girls Primary Schools which is occupied by some community members and
some families of SLPA soldiers. Liech, Bentiu A, Bentiu B Girls, and Machakos primary schools are in
good conditions in terms of infrastructures. These schools need fences and fence repairing plus their
main gates. Giama and Bir need rehabilitation work since the classroom walls have cracks and even
some have collapsed. It was noted that the infrastructures of these schools are in better condition
compared to other schools. At the time of the assessment, military presence was noted to have dropped
in Bentiu town and this resulted to schools being vacant unlike in May Assessment 2014. On the
contrary, military presence in Rubkona town increased significantly and more schools have been
occupied by armed forces.
Lack of proper communication was major hindrance experienced during assessment preparation and
coordination. The chances of accessing many places were very limited due to use of forced protection
and fears of mines and UXO. It was clear that looting of schools has increased compared to the findings of the assessment conducted
in May. Since the schools have valuable assets that will assist the schools to re-open, it is recommended
that the State MoEST embarks on mobilizing people living in and around the school areas and protect
the schools. The assessment recommends that, if security permits, the State MoEST should mobilize
community to clear the school compounds in preparation for pupils’ registration, fence and rehabilitate damaged
schools. The State MoEST needs to do inventory of all furniture present in the schools; collect and reorganize textbooks seen littered in some of the schools, advocate for evacuation of schools by IDPs and armed forces as
soon as possible, and clearance of UXOs should be conducted by government and demining partners.
The brutal armed conflict that has engulfed South Sudan since December 2013mercilessly hit Bentiu and
the neighbouring town of Rubkona very hard. The town has witnessed constant sporadic armed
skirmishes and changed hands several times since the inception of the conflict, leaving the population in
Executive Summary
Emergency Context
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a state of limbo. The latest large scale attack of 15 April 2014 in the town resulted in wanton destruction
and killings, and triggered unprecedented displacement of civilians, leaving Bentiu and Rubkona
virtually empty. In May 2014, humanitarian agencies recorded some 30,000 people who had moved to
the UNMISS base for protection. Since then, drove of residents from Bentiu and adjacent communities
have streamed into the base seeking sanctuary and humanitarian assistance.
Brief periods of cessation of hostilities have sometimes brought hope and confidence, resulting in the
back and forth movement of the population from the PoCs, but all constantly faded away as a result
of resumptions of the conflicts. Rampant atrocities have also eroded confidence and discouraged
spontaneous large scale return. However, with the recent reestablishment of civil authority in Bentiu,
people have begun to commune between the POC and the town with a few deciding to remain in their
places of origin or closest to their homesteads.
Joint efforts by the humanitarian community and the UNMISS administration to create an inhabitable
environment for IDPs in the PoC has been inhibited by constant inundation of the IDP settlements. The
apparent lack of immediate solution to address causes of this natural impediment has also given rise to
movement outside of the POCs, and subjected many of those in the PoCs to untold suffering; hence, the
urge to understand and address the situation of vulnerable people residing outside of the PoC became
critical.
Objectives: -To understand the general situation in the schools in Bentiu and Rubkona Counties as a
follow up to the Rapid Needs Assessment conducted in May 2014in order to plan well and restart
education activities.
Specific Objectives:
Identify the number of schools still occupied and who is occupying them.
Assess the level of damages in terms of school infrastructure and assets to find out what repair
and rehabilitation work is needed.
Enquire views of teachers and community members on immediate re-start of education activities
in Bentiu and Rubkona considering availability of school children and teachers.
Compare findings with results of the assessment conducted in May 2014
Methodology
Survey – walk into school premises and assess the situation
Key informant interviews with some teachers, children, parents, and community members to
capture the general feelings of re-starting education activities in the view of the current situations.
Observation – evaluate the situations of school premises, school surrounding, people coming
back to their homes, school damages, etc.
Team Composition
The assessment composed NGO partners (education clusters partners and VSF), officials from ministry
of education, school teachers and administrators, some children and parents. List key people involved the
assessment is given below:
Assessment Objectives and Methodology
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NGO partners participated in assessment
Organization Staff took part the
assessment
Title/Position Contact
UNICEF John Yuggu Education Specialist [email protected]
INTERSOS Bashir Ali Project Manager Education.unity.south.sudan@intersos.
org
Mercy Corps Osee Mbusa Programe Manager [email protected]
VSF Mabor Simon Field Officer [email protected]
Windle Trust Peter Malek County Liaison
Officer
Staff involved from Ministry of Education:
No. Name Position Contact
1. LuonyjiokDageyMayen Director General, State MOEST +88216341700
2. ZechariaBol Director for General Education N/A
3. Samuel Mapiny Director for AES N/A
School administrators/teachers involved in the assessment
No. Name Position Contact
1. George Gatluak Head teacher -Liech Primary School Liech Primary School
2. James Wani Kai Head teacher- Bentiu B Primary School Bentiu B Primary School
3. GaiManthot Ag. Head teacher -Giama Primary school Giama Primary School
4. Peter Manyang Head teacher - Bir Primary School Bir Primary School
5. MatuongGuet Lam Head teacher - Machakos Primary School Machokos Primary School
6. Louise Kauser Head teacher - Dawa Primary School Dawa Primary School
7. GadronKoangJuach Head teacher - Rubkona Secondary
School
Rubkona Sec. School
8. GordenKualTuth Head teacher - Rubkona Primary School Rubkona Primary School
9. PuokNgyuenyKok Rubkona Secondary School Officer Rubkona Sec. School
10. Ana Nyaziel Senior Female teacher Rubkona Primary school
Ministry of Education
The team started their assessment mission at the State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in
Bentiu where they were received by the ministry staff including the Director General and teachers. The
team assessed the ministry structures. Some parts of big Rub-hall canvas tent cover has been looted –
someone came at night and looted the canvas cover. The Rub-hall had some educational materials
including chalks, stationeries, blackboards, and tent frames. The light items such as 350 blackboards,
handful chalk, etc have been salvaged and stored in one of the ministry structures.
Major Findings
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©Unity State Education Cluster/2014
The Ministry of Education led the assessment and mobilized the teachers, school administrators, and
some parents and children who took part in the assessment.
Schools in Bentiu Town
The assessment covered a total of seven schools in Bentiu town. Movement was limited due to security
risks although forced protection escort from Mongolian Battalion (MONBAT)was used. Schools with
access and high population were reached. The ministry staff briefed the assessment team about schools
that could not be reached.
Schools Accessed in Bentiu
Liech Primary School
The first school assessed was Liech Primary School. It is just behind the State Ministry of Education.
Around 3,000 students have been learning in the school before the crisis. It was a mixed primary school.
Children who were living far from the school used to take 20 minutes to walk to school every day. At the
time of assessment the school was not functional. It stopped functioning since the onset of the crisis in
December 2013. As observed, the school environment was really bushy surrounded by grass and unsafe
for children unless cleared.
The school has four blocks with 12 permanent classrooms with blackboards in usable condition. None of
the permanent classrooms was affected by the recent emergency, and none of them is being used as
shelter by the community. The head teacher reported that there used to be 6 temporary learning spaces in
the school but these have been destroyed. The school has one borehole within the compound easily
accessible by the students and 14 segregated functioning latrines (5 for boys only; 5 for girls only; 2 for
male teachers only; 2 for female teachers only) but lack hand washing facilities.
The schools structure looks in good condition and classes can start immediately without any repair done.
The school fence is weak and needs to be rehabilitated. The borehole is not working but has been fenced
to protect it. It needs repairing.
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©Unity State Education Cluster/2014
The head teacher reported that prior to the crisis, there were 40 teachers (10 female and 30 male) in the
school but all the teachers have been affected by the emergency. All the teachers were on government
payroll. Also, the school had PTA members who have all been affected by the crisis.
©Unity State Education Cluster/2014
The assessment team saw text books littered inside some of the classrooms and even outside the school.
Most of textbooks are in good condition and can be used if they are stored well immediately. School
desks were available in the classrooms with some of them missing the timber for sitting. Some of the
classrooms were locked with padlock.
The assessment also observed some people going in and coming out of the nearby villages of the school.
The team could see some young children playing at a water catchment near the school. Therefore there
was sign that people were coming back to their villages and the likelihood of starting school activities on
small scale with fewpupils. The State Ministry of Education was optimistic that Liech Primary School
can be among the first schools that will restart functioning.
Based on observation done, the following recommendations will help school activities to re-start in the
near future:
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Clean the school compound in preparation for beginning pupils’ registration.
Collect the few textbooks scattered in one of the classrooms for storage in a safe place.
Rehabilitate the school fence and main gate.
Construct more temporary learning spaces to recover destroyed classrooms during crisis –
considering previous school enrollment which is high compared to current available learning
infrastructures.
The borehole needs repairing. Water is not flowing through.
Assign security guards to take care of school infrastructure and property
Bentiu B Girls (Shuada) Primary school
This School is a girls’ primary school. More than 1300 students have been learning before the crisis. The
school stopped functioning at the onset of the crisis in December 2013, hence there were no pupils at the
time of the assessment. The school compound was not all that bushy but some people were selling meat
within the premise.
The school has a total of 10 classrooms (eight permanent with blackboards and two semi-permanent
without blackboards).Other structures in school include2 offices, 1 store, and 1 kitchen. Furniture
available were 5 desks.All the classrooms were not destroyed by the emergency, but the 8 permanent
classrooms have been occupied as shelter by the community and families of soldiers. The community is
willing to vacate the classrooms if provided with alternative shelters. There is no safe water source
within or near to the school. The school has two functioning latrines (1 for boys and girls combined and
1 for male and female teachers combined) but lacks hand washing facilities.
©Unity State Education Cluster/2014
The school infrastructures have no major damages and can be used immediately. The school has no
fence and it is located in the middle of the town – making people to walk through the school compound
while going to neighbouring houses. Two classrooms constructed of local materials and roofed iron
sheet need wall mudding. The classrooms were constructed by Mercy Corps and it was the community
participation to mud the walls.
Unlike in May Assessment, the school premise and surrounding is somehow populated. About 200
children were estimated to be living near the school. Parents interviewed wished their children to be in
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school despite fears of conflict. The people occupying the school are both soldiers and civilians. They
said they will clear the school if they get alternative shelter. They were asked if they were ready to take
plastic sheets and leave the schools. They said they were fine with plastic sheets. The current families in
this are 26.
©Unity State Education Cluster/2014: Meat is sold in school
Prior to the emergency, the school had 31 teachers (3 female and 28 male) on government payroll.
However, all the teachers have been affected by theemergency.Few teachers were present in area.
Based on observation done, the following recommendations help will school activities to re-start in the
near future:
Clean the school compound in preparation for pupil’s registration.
Stop the selling of meat at the school compound.
Community members using the permanent classrooms as shelter to vacate the school.
Establish at least two additional latrines in order to have separate latrines for boys and girls.
Construct school fence and main gate to avoid people moving in and out in the school.
Muddy the walls of the 2 classrooms – constructed with local materials and roofed with iron
sheet.
Assign security guards to take care of school infrastructure and property
Giama Primary School
This school was a mixed school. About 2,650 students (300 girls) were learning in this school before the
crisis. Due to the crisis, the school stopped functioning, hence no pupils at the time of assessment.
Unlike in May assessment, the school is empty and covered by bush and grass. The classrooms are very
dirty and it seems animals (donkeys) have been sheltering there.
The school has 8 permanent classrooms with blackboards in usable condition. The acting head teacher
reported that the school also had three temporary learning spaces destroyed by the emergency. There is
no safe water source within or near the school compound. The school has 6 segregated functioning
latrines (2 for boys only, 2 for girls only, and 2 for male and female teachers combined) but no hand
washing facilities. There is borehole inside Red Cross compound.
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Image of Giama School in May 2014. Image of GiamaSchool in August 2014
The school building looks old and needs rehabilitation generally. The following damages have been
assessed:
Four doors are missing and need repairs. The doors are made of metal /iron.
Eight windows are broken and immediate need of repairs. The windows are made of mental iron.
Two walls in two different classrooms have big wall cracks and need immediate repairs.
The building is too old and need renovation
School has no fence and there is main road passing by and therefore the school needs a good
fence and main gate.
There are no people living around the school. The school has 29 teachers (2 female and 27 male) on
government payroll. All the teachers have been affected by the emergency.
Based on observation done, the following recommendations help will school activities to re-start in the
near future:
Clean the bush and grass in school compound in preparation for pupils’ registration.
Provide hand washing facilities near each toilet.
Repair cracking walls, windows, and doors.
Fence the school and give it main gate since the school is passed by main road.
Assign security guards to take care of school infrastructure and property
Bir Primary School
This school is hundred meters away from Giama Primary School. About975 students (75 girls) were
learning in the school before the crisis. The school stopped functioning due to the crisis, hence no pupils
at the time of assessment. The school compound was quite bushy and requires cleaning. The dilapidated
head teacher’s office was occupied as shelter by a community member.
The school has only one permanent and two semi-permanent classrooms. The head teacher reported that
the school used to have three temporary learning spaces that were destroyed by the emergency. The
roofs of permanent structures are damaged and linking water. Four temporary learning structures; 2 are
missing walls and 2 need wall repairing. The school fence is weak and needs repair soon. The school
lacks a safe water source within or near the compound. There are 6 segregated functioning latrines (2 for
boys only, 2 for girls only, 1 for male teachers only, and 1 for female teachers only).
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©Unity State Education Cluster/2014
Unlike the May Assessment Report, there is only one person living in the school. There are no people
living around the place, except two huts resided by school head teacher which is next door to the school.
A total of 21 teachers (3 female and 18 male) worked in the school prior to the emergency. All the
teachers were on government payroll but have been affected by the emergency.
Based on observation done, the following recommendations will help school activities to re-start in the
near future:
Clean the bush and grass in school compound in preparation for pupils’ registration.
Community members occupying the head teacher’s office as shelter to vacate it.
Provide safe water and hand washing facilities near each toilet.
Rehabilitate headmaster, construct walls for TLS, construct 3 more TLS (classrooms) that have
been destroyed, and repair the school fence.
Assign security guards to take care of school infrastructure and property
Machakos Primary School
The school is mixed. About1200 students have been learning before the crisis. The school stopped when
the crises started. Unlike May Assessment, there are no people living around the school. The team saw
two soldiers in uniform near the school. The school is nearby a busy market along the main road leading
into the town.
There are seven classrooms all constructed with local materials and iron sheet roofing. Six classrooms
were constructed by Mercy Corps. The walls of the classrooms need muddying. This was to be done by
the community as their contribution and participation.
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©Unity State Education Cluster/2014
The school has no fence. The school office is made of local materials including the roofing. The roof
was damaged and need to be repaired. Few desks were sent in one classroom. There are a total of 12
latrines: 10 segregated latrines (4 blocks, 4 blocks and 2 blocks) and 2 emergency bit latrines constructed
of iron sheet and timber. The school has enough space. There is one borehole and it not working.
The school had a total of 12 teachers and only the head teacher was present. The teachers are said to be
in PoCs and few in the town..
Based on observation done, the following recommendations help will school activities to re-start in the
near future:
Clean the bush and grass in school compound in preparation for pupils’ registration.
Rehabilitate head teacher office
Repair the school borehole and construct hand washing facilities near each toilet.
Assign security guards to take care of school infrastructure and property
Construct school fence and main gate.
Provide school desks and other learning materials needed
Bentiu A Primary School
This school is mixed school. Around 1200 students have been learning in this school before the crisis.
The school activities stopped when the crises started. Unlike May Assessment report, there are no
families residing or sheltering in the school. The assessment team could see scattered people going in
and out of their houses. Some parents talked to estimate around 200 children to be living around the
school. They said their children are idle and would appreciate if the school is opened again. The parents
had concerns over the recurring conflict and this was their biggest fear.
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©Unity State Education Cluster/2014
There are 8 permanent classroom structures, 2 offices, 2 blocks of segregated latrines (composing 9
rooms), and 4 block structure latrines but roofless: 2 pit latrines and 2 bath rooms, and one kitchen.
There were desks in two rooms. The desks lacked the timber to sit and it is thought that the timbers were
looted. The school has fence but weak. It needs re-enforcement. The school borehole is working and
intact. The classrooms were intact and need not repair work at all expect painting since the walls of
classrooms have been dirtied with some writings.
Based on observation done, the following recommendations help will school activities to re-start in the
near future:
Clean the bush and grass in school compound in preparation for pupils’ registration.
Construct hand washing facilities near each toilet.
Assign security guards to take care of school infrastructure and property
Rehabilitate the school fence and construct main gate.
Provide school desks and other learning materials needed
Schools Not Accessed in Bentiu
A total of 5 schools could not be physically assessed because of either security or the size of school. The
team sampled only big schools and those schools located in strategic places with likely returning
population. The following schools had not been accessed and the ministry staff gave brief reports about
them.
No. Brief description Remarks
1. Bentiu National Secondary is mixed School and it had
estimated enrolment of 400. The school had 3 teachers
covering this high enrolment
School population was small and it
was disregarded.
2. Bentiu A Secondary School is mixed and it had
estimated enrolment of 1000 students.
The school locates very far place
and so the team feared to access
3. Gatkouth Kam Primary is mixed School and had
estimated enrolment of around 400 students. It had 7
teachers.
School population was small and it
was disregarded.
4. Bilnyang Primary School is mixed school. The
enrolment before crisis is estimated to be 400 students.
The school locate far and again the
area is frontline thus cannot be
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accessed for security reason
5. DAWA Primary School is mixed school. Around 500
students were learning before the crises. 18 teachers
were teaching.
IDPs were found living inside all the
classrooms, including soldiers.
Schools in Rubkona
Schools in Rubkona could not be assessed because of presence of huge military. School in far places
were feared of UXO and mines. The occupied schools are used as base and accommodation. The team
could see from far distance cars amounted with big guns and artillery guns. Therefore State MoEST and
assessment team agreed to not go to these schools and risk and instead MoEST to brief the assessment
team on situation of schools according to their knowledge.
No. Brief Description Remarks
1. Yoanyank Primary School is mixed school. It had school
population of around 1200 students. The school is intact but
has no furniture. During may assessment this school was
vacant and no one used.
It is occupied by military and it
was hard to access it.
2. Pakur Primary School is mixed school it had school
enrolment of 800 students.
It locates at frontline and is
occupied by military and it was
hard to access it.
3. Salam Elisa Primary School is mixed school. It had school
enrolment of 650. The school is being used by military till
now.
It is occupied by military and it
was hard to access it.
4. Rubkona Secondary School. The school had enrolment of
around1500 students. The school locates on the main road
leading to Bentiu
It is used by military officers
as accommodation
5. Rubkona Primary School is mixed school. It had school
population of around 2000 students.It was the biggest school
in the area.
It is occupied by military and it
was hard to access it.
6 Mankuai A Primary is mixed school and it had enrolment
estimated to 300 students and it was destroyed completely.
It locates frontline and it was
destroyed
7 Mankuai B Primary school is mixed school and it had school
population of 500 students and it was destroyed completely.
It locates frontline and it was
destroyed
8 Deng-Jack Primary School is mixed school. It has had school
enrolment 200 students.
It locates frontline and it was
destroyed
9 Tong Primary school mixed school. It had school population
of 200 student.
It is occupied by SPLA IO
military and it was hard to
access it.
Based on observations and information gathered and the recommendations by State MoEST during this
short period of assessment, three primary schools (Bentiu B Girls, Lietch and Bentiu A Primary school)
would be the most immediate schools to be opened. Schools conditions are generally better compared to
conflict affected areas in town. It was noted that some school infrastructures are in better condition
compared to other schools. Military presence has dropped in Bentiu town and this resulted to schools
Conclusions
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being vacant unlike May 2014Assessment. By comparison, military presence has increased in Rubkona
town and more schools have been occupied. The team has also realized that school assets and property
being looted due to lack of school security guards. As people return, the looting will increase because
people want to have shelter thus loot school public assets. The access of assessment team was limited
since they were using forced protection escort.
Considering observations and information gathered, the assessment team would like to make the
following key recommendations to address gaps identified during this short assessment conducted in
Bentiu and Rubkona:
It is evident that schools are being looted in relation to returning of people to town. The numbers
of desks are reducing compared to numbers assessed in May 2014. Since the schools have still
valuable assets that will matter when restarting school activities, security guards should be
assigned. The State MoEST can do this by mobilizing people living in and around the school
areas – relatively returned areas to guard the school property. This will at least save many things
that would have gone missing soon. The schools also need fencing and main gates to protect the
schools assets and property.
It has been noted that schools are becoming bushy and shelter for snakes. It is too early for
schools to be opened because of the lack of population in most school areas and fears for conflict
eruption again. However, the schools would need bush clearing in the school compound in
preparation for pupils’ registration.
As highlighted in the findings, most of the schools have no hand washing facilities. The
construction of hand washing facilities near each toilet in every school would help schools
hygiene promotion when schools are restarted.
Assign security guards to take care of school infrastructure and property
Some schools have been affected seriously by conflict. Plans to rehabilitate the affected schools
are very important in future planning.
As recommended in May Assessment Report, State MoEST needs to do inventory of all furniture
present in the schools;
As recommended in May Assessment Report, textbooks have to be reorganized and collected by
State MoEST from schools seen with textbooks littered.
As recommended in May Assessment Report, advocate for evacuation of IDPs and armed forces
from schools as soon as possible.
As recommended in May Assessment Report, clearance from UXO should be conducted by
government and demining partners;
As recommended in May Assessment Report, teachers to receive psychosocial, life skills and
peace building trainings;
Need to conduct further assessments in Rubkona schools and other areas of the State when
security permits.
Recommendations