The National Education Coalition – NEC, and the Civil Society working in the education sector in South Sudan, are delighted to have participated in the teacher education policy validation workshop. As Civil Society, we bring voices and the lived experiences of the “policy objects,” the community, based on our interaction with communities at the local levels. Our work involves collecting voices such as those presented by the student teachers in during the validation workshop, and other concerns such as Education Financing, Community engagement in Policy-making, efficiency in policy implementation and practices, and social accountability. As part of our advocacy engagements in the policy-making and implementation process, we would like to submit the following concerns that relate to the teacher education policy being developed.
All actors are clear about what they need to do and by when: Ensuring that all major actors at national, state and County levels recognize the importance and urgency of the policy. Also, ensuring that Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are used strategically as partners in the implementation of the policy. The National Education Coalition. The ministry and donors should tap into this resource.
The will and commitment needed for the implementation of the policy: This will to professionalize the teaching workforce for the provision of quality and equitable education to all children of South Sudan and overall social and economic transformation and development of South Sudan’s society. The complaint raised by the female student teachers’ representative was one of a painful experiences that we as the NEC usually hear. These voices are a call for effective and efficient implementation of our policies.
Provision for Policy assessment and evaluation: Use of Civil Society that is well placed to interact with communities at the grassroots level): we actually wonder if we have been evaluating our policies, strategic plans set over the few years.
Commissioning of teacher education development committee: This could be done at national level (e.g., the education forums that had been referred to in the policy), charged with the responsibility of ensuring the smooth implementation of the policy.
Teacher management policy: We would like to recommend that a different policy is developed which specifically addresses teacher management: From NEC’s engagement in teacher education activities and workshops, and the concerns raised by NEC members that reflect grassroots voices, the NEC recommend such a policy. The underpinning concern is the making of the teaching profession attractive.
The Policy and Civil Society: SDG17 particularly emphasizes the need for partnership as a pathway to the realization of the other SDGs and particularly in the provision of equitable and quality education. SDG 17 focuses on accelerating transformation through important entry points, and the civil society is an important part of that entry point. We as NEC and the Civil Society, therefore, hope that the “partnership” as a strategy enshrined in the draft teacher education policy make use of the civil society for effective and efficient implementation of the teacher education policy.
