UNESCO discusses reshaping Sudan's education landscape amid current emergency

Sudan's education system faces one of the world’s most severe crises, with the war rendering 19 million children out of school, according to reports from OCHA and UNICEF.

The UNESCO Regional Office for Egypt and Sudan recently convened its inaugural Local Education Group (LEG) event, bringing together over 20 international and national experts for a vital three-day workshop aimed at reshaping Sudan's education landscape amid its current emergency. Held on the 25th of this month, the event aimed to define and strengthen the priorities of the Traditional Educational Plan, ensuring its effective implementation despite the significant disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict.

Sudan's education system faces one of the world’s most severe crises, with the war rendering 19 million children out of school, according to reports from OCHA and UNICEF. Many schools across the country have been converted into shelters or damaged, complicating efforts to resume educational activities and secure safe learning environments for students.

The workshop was pivotal in engaging stakeholders through a questionnaire that captured a broad spectrum of views on educational priorities within Sudan. The survey reached 737 participants, including parents, teachers, and students, highlighting critical areas such as the development of online education, completion of national exams, payment of teachers' salaries, and the urgent need to reopen schools.

From the insights gathered, the LEG established four primary educational priorities for immediate action:

Ensuring continuous, safe, inclusive, and equitable access to education.

Enhancing the quality and relevance of teaching and learning.Supporting the educational system through strengthened institutional and community capacity.

Mobilizing resources and advocacy efforts to support these initiatives.

These identified priorities will steer UNESCO's actions in navigating the challenging conditions and strive towards a transformative impact on Sudan’s educational system. The collective effort of the experts at the LEG event is a hopeful step towards mitigating the educational disruption and paving the way for recovery and resilience in Sudan’s educational sector.