Teachers Trained to Boost Reading and Mathematics Skills in Early Grades

• Sep 18, 2026

Juba, 12 August 2026 – The Ministry of General Education and Instruction (MoGEI), in partnership with UNICEF, has successfully concluded a 10-day training programme aimed at strengthening foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) skills in South Sudan's early grades.

The training, which began on 4 August 2026 and concluded on 12 August 2026 at Glory Regency Hotel in Juba, equipped teachers with practical skills and tools to deliver structured, high-quality lessons in literacy and numeracy. The initiative is part of ongoing efforts to improve learning outcomes for children in the foundation and lower primary grades.

Through support from development partners, MoGEI plans to implement foundational literacy and numeracy and structured pedagogy interventions across 20 counties, reaching approximately 12,000 schools and training 4,000 teachers nationwide.

Speaking during the opening of the training, the Acting Director General for Basic and Secondary Education, Sarafino Tisa, underscored the importance of investing in foundational learning to improve educational outcomes.

"Investing in foundational learning is critical to ensuring that every child can read with understanding and perform basic numeracy by the end of Primary Three," he said.

He also encouraged participants to fully engage in the training and apply the knowledge and skills gained in their classrooms.

The training covered key areas designed to strengthen teaching and learning, including: • Foundational learning, including phonics, reading fluency, and comprehension; • Literacy, oracy, and language development; • Numeracy, number sense, operations, and problem-solving; • Play-based learning, social and emotional learning (SEL), formative assessment, and lesson structuring; and • Practical teaching sessions and consolidation of FLN methodologies.

More than 40 teachers representing 20 counties and administrative areas participated in the training. Following the programme, participants will continue to receive classroom coaching and professional support through Teacher Learning Circles to reinforce the application of newly acquired skills.

Reaffirming their commitment to improving education outcomes, MOGEI and UNICEF pledged to continue working together to scale up foundational literacy and numeracy interventions and ensure that every child in South Sudan acquires essential reading and mathematics skills.

One of the master trainers, Betty Kulang Emmanuel, highlighted the significance of the initiative. "This nationwide rollout aims to improve teaching and learning outcomes in the early grades through structured lesson guides and evidence-based teaching methods," she said.

The training forms part of broader efforts to strengthen the quality of teaching and learning across South Sudan and to ensure that children develop the foundational skills needed for lifelong learning and success.