The Great Bhar El-Ghazel Students Association in Juba University has express sorrows over massive discontinuation of their colleagues from the University due to poor performance. Addressing the welcome ceremony of Bhar El-Ghazel first year students to Juba University, The Chairman of the Bhar El-Ghazel Students association last week has blamed the administration of the University over discontinuation. The administration of Juba University was trying to change the studies from Arabic to English in a day, as stated in the South Sudan Transitional constitution. The Country constitution which was endorsed on the 9th July 2011 has granted English as the official Language in South Sudan, but students expect slow change. The Language problem did not affect only the universities, but also public institution and the National Legislative Assembly.
The chairman of the student’s association Mr. Majak Muorter said that despite of the big number of students admitted this year to the University, many will drop out from the college ahead of graduation. He said that students who studied Arabic has sense danger of discontinuation ahead of the year, last week in Juba University, students who know only Arabic has written petition to the Police Authority asking permission to protest against the decision of changing the system to English just in a day. The police did not give the students, but the students are still searching the help of the Ministry of High Education science and Technology.
The issue of changing from Arabic to English is the main objective of the Government of South Sudan as stipulated by the Law. But it has caused rampant chaos in public institution and high learning institutions. Ten days ago, students from University of Bhar El Ghazel who said they don’t understand English lectures took to the streets on protest over the University Administration decision, the University of Bhar El-Ghazel has also changed lectures to English. The students protesting in the University of Bhar El-Ghazel raised a question asking the why the University change the Language in a day? The search for help, the protesters destroyed number of the resources outside and in the University. The star newspaper has not yet collect details on the particular value of the resources destroyed during the protest.
Mr. Majak said that Language is the main cause of the dropout; according to him students don’t understand lectures as they know only Arabic. He reiterated that Bhar El-Ghazel constitutes three thousand (3000) students out of the fourteen thousand (14, 000) students in Juba University. Juba University that became the biggest University in South Sudan after the declaration of the South Sudan independence on 9th July 2011 has total number of 14000 students, eight thousands are doing degree and six thousands are doing diploma programs. The University host both International and National students.
Majak said that the number is happiness, but the worries of continues dropout of students in the University is not only a worry to the fellow students, but entire country. The Government policies of all children go to school was introduced in 2005 in help of Nongovernmental Organizations, the was program invented to boast the education system in the country, but contradiction rose as Government Universities discontinue students instead of asking them to repeat. The Language issues to did not cause only discontinuation, but trauma, as who students from East Africa and IDP camps took advantage of the English Language while those from Khartoum are under discrimination and trauma as the University Administration is focusing on English as required by the Law.
In the ceremony, Bhar El-Ghazel Students Association in Juba University has addressed the language issue to their leaders, in return to the Students request; the Minister of Cabinet Affairs in the Republic of South Sudan Hon. Deng Alor has assured the students that he will talk to the Minister of High Education to give a year for Arabic students to transform. “You will have a year to continue with Arabic, but you need to learn English because it’s the official Language of the Country as stated in the Constitution” Deng Alor was quoted. Deng Alor urged the students to build confidence among them and learn English Language through short courses. He said that the English students who boast on the streets should threaten them because they even speak poor English. “All this English students don’t speak quality English Language” Alor revealed.
Deng Alor said that language is an asset to the country. And he reiterated that both Arabic and English are important. He added that all these languages are imported. He requested the students to train themselves to learn both English and Arabic. He also asked the students to play role in improving education system and he also called the students to go to the villages and embark on education campaign. “South Sudan is among rich countries in Africa, particularly in agriculture and natural resources, backward in education”. Alor disclosed. He told the students that oil was not the cause of South, North Sudan war. He mentioned that the war that started in 1955 was before the oil was discovered. According to him the right of self-determination, equality, justices and freedom were the main reason of the South Sudan long struggle which ended in 2005.
Addressing the students, Deng Alor has expressed worries over the ongoing tribal wars in the Country; “people kill themselves because of the cattle and land, it’s unfortunate that South Sudanese still kill themselves”. Alor continued. The tribal clashes in Jonglei that started down in 2005 after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement has claimed over three thousand lives of people, and looting of over ten thousand heads of cattle, a reported Presented by the Governor of Jonglei in Mr. Koul Manyang to the Council of States early January this year stated.
Alor appealed to the students go down to the grassroots and to embark on peace and development campaign. He said that been from any tribe cannot take anybody anywhere. He urged people to concentrate on development. “You cannot build a nation on tribal bases” he told the students. He said that unity South Sudanese must start from the students. “Students are effective in changing society” he said. He said that student have changes communities across the continent. He said that most of the tribal clashes were caused by some politicians just let them get position in the Government. The Jonglei tribal clashes that were looked on as cattle rustling as resulted into demand of state. Alor urged those politicians to compete democratically not excite tribal clashes. He listed those politicians as the main cause of all tribal conflicts in South Sudan.
He said that the government has put a lot of majors to end the tribal clashes in the short run. He said that Government is tasked with a lot of responsibilities particularly in this moment of the oil shut. He said the decision of shutting down the oil pipe is to gain economic independence. He told the students that the country is running even out of water, electricity and food. the country has reach critical moment has the revenue has slow down and as the Government institution are trying to change from Arabic to English.