(JUBA COUNTY) – South Sudan Faces Education Funding Crisis
South Sudan’s education sector is facing a severe funding crisis as the government continues to fall short of its legal obligations, according to a coalition of civil society groups and lawmakers. The government has failed to allocate the legally required 10% of the national budget to general education, leaving millions of children at risk.
The warning came in a formal communiqué issued after a two-day high-level dialogue in Juba from December 3rd to 4th, 2025, hosted at the Crown Hotel. The document was presented to Vice President for the Service Cluster, Josephine Joseph Lagu.
For the 2024/2025 financial year, general education received only 2.7% of national expenditure, down from 4.5% the previous year. This is well below the 10% minimum mandated by the General Education Act of 2012. Participants described a systemic financing crisis that is crippling schools across the country.
South Sudan’s education budget is now the lowest in East Africa, compared with a regional average of 11.9% for basic education. Experts say the shortfall not only violates national law but also fails to meet basic international standards.
The communiqué highlights the collapse of capitation grants, direct funding to schools, which have not been paid since 2019. The lack of funds has caused widespread infrastructure decay, operational breakdowns, and declining public confidence in public schools. Despite a policy of free and compulsory basic education, families still face hidden costs, leaving children from low-income households unable to attend school. Currently, 2.8 million children are out of school.
Chronic underfunding has led to low budget execution rates, often below 30%, resulting in irregular salary payments for teachers and making school-level planning nearly impossible. Accountability mechanisms remain weak, and coordination between government ministries is limited.
The communiqué urges the Vice President to lead immediate reforms and present the issues directly to President Salva Kiir Mayardit. Recommendations include issuing a public presidential directive to reaffirm the 10% funding pledge with a binding timeline, legally protecting education funds from reallocation, and restoring capitation grants with a schedule to clear arrears dating back to 2020. It also calls for a fixed percentage of national tax revenue to be earmarked for education to ensure predictable financing.
The dialogue was facilitated by the National Education Coalition, a network of over 200 local and international organisations. Members of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly’s education committee witnessed the final communiqué, signalling parliamentary support for urgent action.
The funding gap has left schools struggling to operate, threatening South Sudan’s long-term development and the government’s ability to provide basic education to its youth.
