Against all odds: Children in South Sudan, especially girls, get a chance of improved education, thanks to successful GPE grant application

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South Sudan is one of the world’s toughest contexts when it comes to education. Over 60 per cent of children are out of school. And when children are in school, they often face severe shortages of teachers, learning materials, and the risk of unsafe classrooms, due to pervasive violence. Girls, children with disabilities, and those in remote pastoralist communities are the most deprived.

In 2025, South Sudan clocked up a major achievement in gaining a US$58 million grant allocation from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). This is particularly significant in light of ongoing cuts in funding for international development and also given the many challenges facing the education sector in the fragile, young nation.