Yei River County Records Rise in Returnees School Enrollment

(YEI RIVER COUNTY) – The Department of Education in Yei River County has recorded a significant increase in school enrollment, particularly among learners returning from neighboring Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The County Education Director, Philip Taban, told Access Radio on Wednesday that more learners continue to enroll, even as classes began a month ago.

“Returnees from Uganda and Congo are coming to school and when they come, we don’t reject them, but we register them because they have come to their own country. Teaching is ongoing, and children are going to school. Many learners are still coming from Uganda for registration. I don’t have the exact records now because we are still registering them. We shall compile this report and share it later.”

Taban says the department is still compiling data on the new admissions as registration continues across schools in the county.

He is now appealing to parents to prioritize education despite the difficult economic situation.

“What I want from the parents is that please take your child to school because classes are ongoing, and we don’t want to leave children behind. We know there are challenges with tuition fees, but go to any school, register your child, and talk to the school management to admit your child and pay in installments. Parents should not fear registering their children because of school fee issues.”

Yei River County was once recognized as one of the regions with the best quality education before the outbreak of the 2016 conflict.