Education in Sudan

"By the time school began, most of us had bartered successfully enough to have clothed ourselves, and when we sat down that first day, we really felt like students, and school really seemed like a school. The classrooms were thatched rooms, roofs without walls, and on the first morning of classes, the fifty-one boys sat on the ground and waited." (p. 268)

As a little boy, Achak walks hundreds of miles to Ethiopia and then to Kenya in pursuit of the dream of finding his parents again and of going to school. Explore the links on this page to see what "school" means in this part of the world, where decades of war, disease, and poverty have seriously damaged the traditional educational systems.

Sudan's Education System

Arabic "recital" schools encouraged literacy in Sudan before the British introduced a state education system in the early 1900s. Since 1956, when Sudan became an independent country, Sudanese children may attend a Foundation school (grades 1-8), followed by a Secondary school (grades 9-11). After that, they have available both state and private universities.

Mobile Education

In the rural areas of western Sudan, education may arrive on the back of a camel. Communities move north in the summer and south in winter, taking their schools with them.

Higher Education

Where might you go to get a Master's degree or a PhD in Sudan? This site will tell you and let you know your chances of being accepted into one of these graduate programs.

Education for All by 2015?

Groups dedicated to training teachers for Sudan, Africa's largest country, hope to reverse some of the effects of decades of civil war. They work with both children and their families at a "grassroots" level.

How You Can Help!