5 Jan 2011

SUDAN / STUDENT RETURNEES

Schools in Khartoum suffer low student numbers as many of them leave with their families to southern Sudan take part in the country’s upcoming self-determination referendum. UNMIS

Posted at: January 5, 2011 4:29 pm

Duration: 02:28

Available in: SD

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Full script

STORY: SUDAN / STUDENT RETURNEES 
TRT: 2.28
SOURCE: UNMIS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ARABIC/ NATS

DATELINE: 5 JANUARY 2011, KHARTOUM, SUDAN

SHOTLIST:

1.	Wide shot, outside school
2.	Pan right, teacher writing to the students in the class
3.	Med shot, a teacher in class room
4.	Med shot of three female students
5.	Med shot, a teacher and students
6.	Med shot, students opening a book
7.	Med shot, teacher shakes hand with students
8.	SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Charles Jumaha, Education Officer, Comboni, Jabel Aulia Locality:
"At the beginning the number of students was 265. Now they have decreased. The number of students at the moment is now 145 students. These are the latest statistics."
9.	Wide shot, people in church
10.	Med shot, officers
11.	SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Natal Joseph, Deputy Secretary Education Office, Archdiocese of Khartoum:
"The plan is going on. We as a church are going to give the service to the present students, but the service depends on the desire of the students and the people. We do not like to close the schools, maybe the people will go and come back again. We do have another problem, every month the number of the teachers is decreasing. Most of them have gone back to the south after they received their salaries."
12.	Various shots, students playing volley ball
13.	Med shot, teacher with students playing volley ball
14.	SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Hani Mustafa Osman, Student:
"I am 16 years old. We were 18 friends in the class. Most of them they have gone to the south. We remain only six friends. I have one close friend; she travelled to the south and gave me a picture to always remember her."
15.	Wide shot, students with teacher playing

STORYLINE:

A history lesson goes on as normal at Comboni primary school in Jabel Aulia, located in the outskirts of Khartoum. A few months ago this classroom was inundated with students.

But now, most of them have left. There are now only nine students in this classroom compared to the initial 23. The bulk of the children and their families have left for various states in Southern Sudan.

Hundreds of Southerners have in recent weeks been travelling to different parts of Southern Sudan's ten States following plans by various groups, including the Government of Southern Sudan who launched massive movements southward ahead of the long-awaited 9 January self-determination referendum.

Schools like Comboni primary school have suffered a decline in students and teachers alike.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Charles Jumaha, Education Officer, Comboni, Jabel Aulia Locality:
"At the beginning the number of students was 265. Now they have decreased. The number of students at the moment is now 145 students. These are the latest statistics."

The Ministry of Federal Education helps this catholic church-run school by paying teacher salaries and helping with the development of the school curriculum. The catholic archdiocese started its involvement in various education programs in Khartoum State since 1986 by offering education to displaced people in various locations.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Natal Joseph, Deputy Secretary Education Office, Archdiocese of Khartoum:
"The plan is going on. We as a church are going to give the service to the present students, but the service depends on the desire of the students and the people. We do not like to close the schools – maybe the people will go and come back again. We do have another problem, every month the number of the teachers is decreasing. Most of them have gone back to the south after they received their salaries."

Though Southerners are not required to be in the south to vote in the January referendum, many have decided to leave to various locations in Southern Sudan.

A peace agreement signed in 2005 after more that 20 years of civil war resulted to an initial spontaneous surge of returnees to the South, with many opting to go back to their ancestral homes ahead the January poll.