Authorities have confirmed a high rate of school dropouts and acknowledged a lack of teachers in Ezo County of Western Equatoria State.

So far this year 13 students out of 78 registered at Ezo Secondary School have dropped from the school this year. Students attribute the high dropout rate to “lack of teachers and early marriage.”

“We don’t have enough teachers here. We are still missing some subjects that are not taught here,” said a male student.

A female student commented, “The challenge I face here in secondary school is we don’t have enough teachers here – even the female teachers we don’t have – and the drop of students from the school from early marriage.

Aluma Taban, school officer of Ezo Secondary explained, “The biggiest challenge we have here in the school it is the number of the teachers, which has resulted to low enrolment of the students.”

Simon Siro, Senior Inspector for Administration and Finance in Ezo County Education Office, said he has requested the state ministry of education to send more qualified teachers.

He confirmed, “The number of students is very low because the teachers are very few. What I know is there are five teachers running the school and it is now a full secondary school.”

File photo: Students busy during a practical lesson at the St. Bakhita Secondary School in Yambio County, South Sudan. (Mike Fowley/Jesuit Refugee Service).