The Ministry of Education says it agrees to a UN report rating South Sudan the second among countries with many children out of schools.

It says the rating could be attributed to insufficient funds, poor infrastructure, and conflicts.

In a report last week, the UN International Children’s Emergency Fund, UNICEF indicated that more than 50% of the primary school-age children in South Sudan are missing out on primary school education.

It said the figures were according to its data analysis, which highlights the extent of education crisis affecting countries in conflict.

It shows that 2 in every 5 children are out of school in those countries. South Sudan was in the second position among the top ten, with Liberia in the lead.

The Undersecretary in the Ministry of education, Michael Lopuke, says he agrees with the report.

“South Sudan has been at war for a very long time, which goes beyond 60 years or more. This has contributed to poor school infrastructure in the region,” Mr Lopuke said.

“The other one is [little] access to rural areas [because] majority of the people of South Sudan live in rural areas.”

The UNICEF data analysis indicates that Liberia is leading among the top ten countries affected, with nearly two-thirds of primary-aged children not accessing schools.