The newly printed 1.12 million textbooks pictured in Juba on Wednesday, March 22, 2021 | Credit | Charles Wote/Eye Radio

Over one million primary and secondary school textbooks have been handed over to the Ministry of General Education.

The newly printed 1.12 million textbooks will be distributed to six states in South Sudan.

1,449,219 primary school pupils and 109,854 secondary school students are expected to receive the books in Eastern Equatoria, Lakes, Jonglei, Upper Nile, Unity and Warrap.

They were handed over by the Save the Children organization.

“We are delighted to handover this 1.2million both primary and secondary school textbooks that have been printed under the “Education cannot wait” program,” said Rama Hansraj, country director of Save the Children International.

The textbooks are part of a $20 million grant led by Save the Children International in partnership with the Norwegian Refugee Council, Finn Church Aid and the Ministry of Education and General Instruction.

The Minister of General Education and Instruction, Awut Deng, says her Ministry will ensure each school-going child gets a textbook.

“The availability of enough textbooks is going to be key to our preparation to reopening of schools this year,” she said.

Shortly after the handing over ceremony, Eye Radio witnessed the dispatch of the first batch of textbooks to the selected states.

Save the Children reports that about 2.2 million children are out of school in South Sudan.

It states that 1 in 3 schools have been damaged, destroyed, occupied or closed due to conflict, weather events and coronavirus.

The “Education Cannot Wait” program aims to facilitate access to pre-primary education and boost gender equality.

It is also expected to prevent early dropouts from school and support children and youth in accessing the psychosocial support they need to recover and rebuild from trauma, conflict and displacement in South Sudan.