Sudan: Eight Million Children Out of School in Sudan - Teachers Warn of Looming Education Catastrophe

What the report says

Sudan’s teachers say the country’s public education system is under severe strain, with the Sudanese Teachers’ Committee warning that about eight million children are now outside the school system. The remarks, reported by Dabanga and distributed by AllAfrica, came as the committee said teachers are facing worsening economic conditions, low pay and difficulties affording transport to work. It argued that the crisis is hitting poorer and more remote areas hardest, where public schools are already struggling to stay open.

The committee called for education spending to rise to 20% of the national budget and said a strike in Khartoum state was continuing. According to the report, the action had entered its second day in several localities, including Karari, Bahri and East Nile. Teachers also demanded payment of outstanding dues, higher wages and better school conditions. The committee said some educators had been unable to reach schools because of transport costs, and that falling enrolment reflected the wider decline in public services.

The group warned that continued neglect could deepen inequality between ordinary public schools and better-resourced model schools, which are able to operate more normally because they offer paid lessons. It said education risked becoming dependent on family income rather than a universal right. The committee said it may escalate with peaceful measures such as school closures or sit-ins if authorities do not respond, and planned a meeting later in the week to review its next steps.