ARTICLES: Youth journalist reports on the problem of school fees in Southern Sudan (AFRICA)

Youth journalist reports on the problem of school fees in Southern Sudan

In the run-up to the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child – a landmark international agreement on the basic human rights of all children – UNICEF is featuring a series of stories about progress made and challenges that remain. Here is one of those stories.

JUBA, Southern Sudan, 13 July 2009 – Michael Lual is worried that this might be his last year of school. The 17-year-old is one of the top students at Juba Day School in Juba, Southern Sudan, but he is struggling to pay his school fees.

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Michael's father died during Sudan's civil war, and he now lives in Juba with his uncle so that he can attend a better school. His five siblings live in a village outside Juba with their mother.

Michael and his teachers say that although the Government of Southern Sudan announced a policy last year to reward the best students with free schooling, Michael and his classmates are still waiting for financial aid to continue their education.

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