Every Child Has the Right to Learn Without Fear: South Sudan Begins Drafting Its First National Safe Schools Guidelines.

• Oct 08, 2026
• Awut Deng Jr

7 October 2026, Juba – The Ministry of General Education and Instruction (MoGEI), in partnership with UNICEF, has launched a three-day National Inception Workshop in Juba to initiate the development of South Sudan’s first National Safe Schools Guidelines.

The high-level workshop brings together 50 participants including Directors General from the Ministries of General Education and Instruction across all ten states and the three Administrative Areas, heads of departments from MoGEI headquarters, representatives of national and state-level Education Cluster partners, civil society organizations, and United Nations agencies. The workshop aims to collaboratively develop a national framework that will safeguard learners, teachers, and education infrastructure from violence, disasters, and other disruptions that affect access to quality education.

Organized by the Directorate of Basic and Secondary Education within the Ministry of General Education and Instruction, the workshop is being conducted with technical assistance of UNICEF and financial support from Global Partnerships for Education (GPE).

The National Safe Schools Guidelines will provide a comprehensive framework for strengthening the safety, protection, and resilience of learning environments across the country. Once finalized, the guidelines are expected to be validated and officially launched by December 2026. They will be accompanied by a costed implementation plan, teacher training manual, and monitoring checklist to support effective roll-out and accountability.

The workshop will conclude on 8 October 2026, with participants expected to agree on key priorities, principles, and next steps for the development of the guidelines. The initiative marks a significant step toward ensuring that every child in South Sudan can learn in a safe, protective, and conducive environment free from fear and disruption.