Catholic Teacher Training College in S. Sudan to Adopt New “student-centered” Curriculum

“Our model has always been student-centred for almost 10 years that we have been around. We discourage physical punishment as we realized that such mode of punishment only perpetuates violence. That is not what we want in South Sudan,” said Fr. Greene.

The former missionary in Malawi added, “Our college insists on alternative methods of educating, disciplining and motivation of the students.”

Explaining the impact of their institution, the Irish missionary said, “I must say that we have been widely commended and it just shows that it is possible to set up an education system that does not rely on physical punishment of slapping students but being able to instill a sense of discipline.”

Last September, the Ministry of General Education and Instruction of the world’s newest nation launched new school textbooks to harmonize teaching and learning in the country. The initiative was part of the Global Partnership for Education, which is financed by the European Union (EU) and other donors.

Since independence in 2011, the East African country has been using textbooks from neighbouring countries. Education regulators say that with the new teaching resources expected to be put to use next month, school teaching will become consistent across the country and fully compatible with the South Sudan curriculum.

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In an interview with ACI Africa correspondent in South Sudan Wednesday, January 15, the Head of Projects for SSS, Gabe Hurrish, lauded the South Sudanese Government for the step in the education sector.

“It is a very good step from the government and we are very excited about it. We hope that teachers pick it up very fast and learn these new methods and use them in the classroom,” Hurrish, a Maryknoll lay missionary said and added, “We will have all sorts of visual aids that we will make ourselves.”

The American missionary echoed the remarks of his Irish colleague that the new syllabus “is not simply writing on the blackboard and looking at the book, but uses a variety of methods, which the teachers need to get used to.”

He said, “We will do questions and answers; we will go outside a classroom, maybe visit a school, ask questions and interview people there.”

Hurrish further said that the new curriculum emphasizes methods that children enjoy the most.

“This kind of teaching is much more effective to the young people. Children love to be involved, research tells us that they learn and remember a lot better by studying through role-play and singing,” he said.

SSS, which operates under the Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SCBC) has an MoU with Juba university and is affiliated with the ministry of education and local bishops.

Initially, the organization had two teacher training colleges, one in Yambio and the other in Malakal but has since halted operations at the Malakal institution, which was looted and severely damaged during the years of civil unrest.

Students from Malakal have been offered places in the program in Yambio.

All of certifications at the Yambio-based Catholic TTC are awarded through the University of Juba.

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Hurrish explained that the institution admits men and women with “at least a secondary school certificate.”

“Their English must be good enough to understand our international staff, they must be in good health, and we take students from all over the country,” he said.

So far, the college has graduated 550 teachers in about ten years, and annual enrolment remains at 40 teachers. Currently, there are 140 students on progress.