More than 70 percent of South Sudan’s population is under the age of 30, but South Sudanese youth lack education, skills, and work opportunities. South Sudan has the world’s highest proportion of out-of-school children in the world, with 72 percent of primary-aged children out of school (UNICEF, 2017). Only 48 percent of South Sudan’s youth are literate (World Bank, 2020). Violence, natural disasters, and financial barriers prevent children and youth from completing their education.
USAID’s education program increases access to and improves the quality of instruction in South Sudan’s education system, prioritizing keeping girls and boys in school, especially marginalized groups, including displaced populations. In partnership with the United Kingdom and other donors, USAID supports Girls’ Education South Sudan to reduce barriers to education through cash transfers to girls and capitation grants to schools, and mobilizing learners to enroll in school and communities to support education.
