(JUBA) – Many South Sudanese parents invest heavily in their children’s education abroad, hoping to secure a brighter future. They often send monthly remittances to cover tuition and living expenses. However, recent warnings from a student leader in Rwanda suggest that these efforts may sometimes be misdirected.
Ruot Mawich Yak Deng, former representative of the South Sudanese Students’ Association at Kigali Independent University (ULK), cautions parents that some students abandon their studies for other pursuits, resulting in wasted years and significant financial loss.
“As parents, you may one day realise that your child has abandoned their studies to pursue other activities,” Deng said. “This can be devastating, as you reflect on the three, four, or five years and resources invested to secure your child’s future, only to find they were not focused on their education.”
According to Deng, these situations occur when parents do not actively monitor their children’s academic records, sending money while assuming progress is being made. He warns that some students use elaborate methods to hide failures.
Deng shared a case involving a female student from the class of 2024 who forged her graduation. She arranged for a tailor-made gown, printed a dissertation written by someone else, and attempted to deceive her father and the university administration.
On graduation day, her name was absent from the official list due to failing her first-year finance course and missing records for subsequent years. When questioned, she falsely claimed her name had been announced in Kinyarwanda and delayed providing her certificate, despite the university issuing them within two to three weeks. The truth was revealed only after the university informed her father of her academic status.
As president of the Youth Agenda South Sudan in Kigali, Deng urged parents to verify academic progress directly and not rely solely on their children’s assurances. He also advised students to regularly check their Management Information System (MIS) accounts to ensure marks are accurately recorded and avoid negligence.
