EDUCATION RAPID NEEDS ASSESSMENT · 2015-02-05 · 1 EDUCATION RAPID NEEDS ASSESSMENT ©Unity State...

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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

mailto:[email protected]


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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

[email protected]

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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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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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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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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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:


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.


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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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..


near future:


Rehabilitate head teacher office

Repair the school borehole and construct hand washing facilities near each toilet.


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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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.


near future:


Construct hand washing facilities near each toilet.


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.



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.



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.


destroyed

8 Deng-Jack Primary School is mixed school. It has had school

enrolment 200 students.


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.


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

EDUCATION RAPID NEEDS ASSESSMENT · 2015-02-05 · 1 EDUCATION RAPID NEEDS ASSESSMENT ©Unity State...

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