Education Committee
The long-term purpose of the Education Committee has been to join with Christians in the Sudans in the fostering and the development of education in many different forms.
Salisbury Diocese's support for the teaching about God and Holy Scripture has involved bible institutes and theological colleges. There are several theological colleges in the Sudans. Salisbury Diocese has historically invested in four, for the training of ministers and the support of staff in the ministry and mission of the Church, three in South Sudan and one in Sudan.
In South Sudan, Bishop Gwynne College in Juba is now a campus of The Episcopal University of the Episcopal Church, while Bishop Allison Theological College has returned to Yei from exile in Uganda and the Bishop Yeremaya Bible Institute is training ministers in Yambio. The staff of Shokai Theological College in Sudan are now in Cairo, seeking ways to continue the training of ministers for churches in Sudan in today's testing circumstances, the STC buildings in Khartoum having been badly damaged in 2023 during the on-going conflict between the Sudanese army and the rebel militia and the college closed.
Pioneering Girls’ Education and Science:
The delivery of secondary education in South Sudan has been pioneered by the Juba Diocesan Model Secondary School in Juba. Salisbury Diocese has fostered girls' education there and the teaching of science. In Sudan a successful link was established between the Episcopal Church Girls' Secondary School in Omdurman and Sherborne Girls’ School.
Improving Literacy and Learning:
Salisbury Diocese has supported basic (primary) schools in both Sudan and South Sudan with grants for classrooms, books and desks.
It is also the channel for bursaries for poorer children at both the secondary school and the church basic schools in South Sudan.
Author: Canon Jeremy Cresswell
September 2024.