Minister Nyaba obsession with closure of private learning institutions BY: Gen. Thoon-Anyar Aywien, SOUTH SUDAN
OCT. 12/2011, SSN; I am really befuddled by the repetitive and persistent statements of our Minister of Higher Education regarding the closure of Private learning Institutions in the Republic of South Sudan. Whenever delivering any press statement or interview, Dr. Peter Adwok Nyaba won’t omit his favorite and ominous melody, about closing down all the private Universities. That makes me to wonder whether the closure of Private learning institutions has captured the priority for the delivery of services within the “100 days initiative” for that ministry headed by Dr. Nyaba. The Minister of Higher Education in the RSS developed his malevolent contemplation about the incompetence of these private learning institutions since last year when he was by then the Minister of Higher education in the Government of National Unity (GONU) in Khartoum. He persisted that any Private University should apply for a registration license in the Sudan government (Khartoum) otherwise they be shut down immediately. He further illustrated that the letter of no objection obtained by these institutions can’t justify their registration prior to coming to terms with the laid conditions and guidelines such as a proper site with a well established premises, professional and qualified tutors, and approved curriculum of universal standard... etc. Our Ministers’ idea is genuine, and me as South Sudanese citizen, I'm impressed, and agree with him in all the points he had stated, but the way forward should have been more conscientious than unhelpful criticism. Warning our prospective students not to join any of these Private learning institutions won’t be reasonable and remedial statement about the setbacks and challenges we face in RSS. It is unfortunate such a statement came from the highest officer in the higher education docket. What shall these youth do since the public Universities have not been operational almost for the last three good years? Three successive generations of students who completed Sudan School certificate are not studying because the public universities are not operational for various reasons – ranging from lack of equipment, premises and qualified staff. Certainly our VIPS can afford to educate their offsprings abroad or even in the outer planets if necessitated, but what about those with limited income, should their youngsters end up in the Bars and lodges? Why beating the drums about the closure of the private Universities, while being so muted about the booming illegal and immoral accommodations (lodges) and riverbank brothels which attract massive customers from both segments of our youth and senior executive members of government establishment? These are hot issues to be addressed, Mr. Minister, other than directing all your energy to closure of private universities. There was a saying that “a single-eyed man is King in the Blind peoples Kingdom.” That means our uncle himself revealed in his statement that, “Latest statistics according to the Ministry of General Education indicates that 73% of the country’s population estimated to be 10,000,000 people is illiterate with women leading. This has caused many challenges while seeking skilled laborers to develop the fledgling nation (Gurtong 06/Oct/2011)”. So why incessantly frustrating those who take a perceptive step to close that illiteracy gap by enrolling into some of these private learning institutions in order to elevate their educational status even though lectures are delivered under the Neem trees? Decisively, they grasp some valuable knowledge and that is better than persisting in idleness and illiteracy and expecting handouts from international/donors, loans for the reconstruction of the universities’ respective campuses. What we expect from our Minister is that wisdom of encouraging education at every level be they private or public institutions. There is no greediness or end for learning. He shouldn’t look down at his comrades who were not lucky enough to finish higher education level during the liberation war for one reason or another, but encourage these comrades to pursue education after the CPA. So private learning institutions were the ideal solution to their trouble, since the public institutions usually operate during morning hours that are not convenient to government employees. The conditions been put forward by the minister in order for those private universities to obtain license are good, and all those private universities have to comply with these conditions. But also let us look at the coin from two sides; if I'm not mistaken all four of our public Universities are occupying premises that belong to Secondary schools previously with the exception of Juba University which has its own buildings that are meant for only 2000 students but they now registering more than 30,000 students with no place for accommodation or lectures. The Public universities were all lacking professional tutors; on a daily basis they posted adverts hungrily looking for lecturers but those who have the skills are reluctant to fill in the vacancies discouraged by poor job allowances and the polices. At the end of the day the ministry could resort to importing of foreign lecturers as a new trend in the government ROSS. Therefore our Minister, DR. Nyaba, you are having a mammoth task in that ministry that should keep you busy up to the neck, starting from renovation or construction of new buildings for the universities' premises, employing new lecturers, scholarships issues, lecturers' grievances, students admissions etc, etc.... As for the private universities licenses issue, it is only a small part of that tribulation. Recurrent media hype wouldn’t tender tangible consequences, Uncle Nyaba. By General Thon – Anyar Aywien; the Writer lives in the Republic of South- Sudan and a Student of Law in a Private University. Email / [email protected] The Author is citizen of Lakes State; Email- [email protected] COMMENTS, PLEASE CLICK HERE Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author(s) and do not represent those of the website. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. 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