The History of Educational development in Southern Sudan 1898-1956.

The study traces the history of educational development in South Sudan from 1898-1956. The objective of this research study was designed to add fresh information to earlier studies on the same topic. As a University Professor of history, I felt fully convinced that much more investigations in this field of education had not yet been done to certain areas in general and to South Sudan in particular. For those who are interested in education, there is need to know full well about it. Since the inception of the colonial to the independence era the South Sudan had suffered very greatly from bad educational and economic policies. As a result of those educational and others prior to independence, South Sudan lagged far behind the north Sudan educationally, politically, Socially and economically. Such educational gaps linked with economic and other political policies enabled the northern Sudan prior to and after independence to predominate in the civil service, political arena, Socially and economically. Method of Research This study is especially based on historical description. In most cases, descriptive mode had been mainly dealt with. In other respects an analytical mode had been also used. Any information related to the research had been recorded down, explained and analyzed. Data Source The place of research had been the national Records office, Khartoum .Other places include also the British council library, African and Asian studies library and Sudan library. The researcher had travelled in South Sudan in view of making extensive research in the field of education as study indicates. In dealing with the research topic. I had tried on to consult and collect data and information in relation to the concept of educational development in South Sudan. Thus books linked the education and politics in the Sudan with special emphasis on South Sudan had been seen and checked properly. It is important to be worthwhile that review of articles, annual reports, departmental reports and Journals in common with the research topic had been consulted. Other sources either published or unpublished which are mainly based on old archival files of the three southern states or provinces were used. Not only that but also interviews and discussions with some important personalities had been conducted with such as Ustaz/Sir Al Khatim Al Khalifa,Ustaz /Arop Yor Ayik/ Ustaz/Clement Sebit Abele, Ustaz/Stephen Akot, Sayed Mathew Obur Ayang, Sayed Simon yor kur and other friends. Sir Al Khatim Al Khalifa had joined teaching in 1938-1956 at the Institute of Bakht Al Ruda. In January 1953-1960, he was in Juba and his main work was to plan for the introduction of Arabic. His general and minor comments are highly appreciative. He had positively contributed to the rearrangement of some chapters of the thesis. The evidence has indicated that in 1946 there were two government schools above sub-grade level in the Southern Sudan. Findings have shown that educational development in the Southern Sudan was of gradual progress based on the low standard required by the then Sudan Government. The missionaries were either allies or agents of the Sudan government to spread Christianity and fight Islam in the Southern Sudan.