Bor County Education Authority: Bans School Farewell Celebrations, Gifts

Education authorities in Bor County in Jonglei State have banned farewell celebrations and the exchange of gifts in public and private schools, saying the practices place a financial burden on parents and distract students from their studies. The directive, which took effect on October 6, applies to primary and secondary schools across the county, according to a circular issued by Gabriel Panchol Anyang, an education official in Bor. Panchol said the ban followed a resolution adopted at the Bor County Education Annual Review Meeting on July 30. He said farewell, or “sign-out”, celebrations had become costly for families and were associated with activities that undermined discipline and academic concentration. The directive prohibits schools from organising farewell parties either on or outside school premises and says parents and relatives should not be required to contribute money towards such events. It also applies to head teachers, teachers, students and pupils, parents and guardians, and owners of private schools, according to the circular. Schools that violate the directive could face closure for two academic years and have their operating licences and letters of no objection withdrawn under existing education regulations, Panchol said. He also called for the order to be enforced by security personnel. The authorities also banned gifts for candidates completing Primary 8 and Senior 4, as well as for top-class pupils, saying the practice had become costly and had gone beyond simple messages of encouragement. Panchol said candidates were receiving items including clothes, cosmetics, shoes, money, soft drinks and goats. He said graduation ceremonies for nursery pupils could still be organised by schools but should not be extravagant and should not involve the distribution of assorted gifts. The directive has drawn mixed reactions in Bor. Yar Manyang, a secondary school candidate, told Radio Tamazuj that farewell celebrations could encourage students, particularly girls, and criticised the ban. “I don’t see any reason for the ban. As girls, celebrating our success is motivational and encouraging,” she said. “It is not easy to be in school for 12 years and not be allowed to celebrate.” Kanya Mach, information secretary of the Jonglei State Women Association, welcomed the directive, saying the celebrations and gift-giving had placed financial pressure on families and contributed to social tensions. “As a mother and activist, I welcome the ban,” she said, adding that gifts given to students had become increasingly expensive. Mach said some teenagers were also seeking gifts from people with whom they were in relationships, which she said could contribute to tensions between families. She cited an incident a year ago in which a family was attacked after a man gave a girl he was courting a goat and clothes as gifts. South Sudan has struggled with limited access to quality education, with schools in parts of the country facing shortages of teachers, classrooms and other resources. Bor, the capital of Jonglei State, has a number of public and private schools serving primary and secondary students.