South Sudanese Teacher Working with Refugees of All Ages

South Sudanese Teacher Working with Refugees² of All Ages

Teacher Koat Reath is a refugee¹ from South Sudan. His students are, too. They smile as they sing along with him in their classroom.

Koat and his students are living at the Jewi refugee camp in Gambella, Ethiopia. They have fled fighting in their homeland. Koat believes that education is the solution to a better future in South Sudan.

Koat says he wants to make sure the young -- and the old -- are ready to take part in rebuilding the country.

"I'm teaching these children to be the doctor, and the president and the pilot, so this is my role to volunteer myself to teach these children to build a good future in South Sudan, to do a good thing."

He teaches his students how to read and write in their native language, Nuer. And he makes a point of adding a few words in English.

Koat Reath has been teaching for almost 10 years. He says children learn better when their classes are fun. Keeping their attention can be difficult in the camp. At any time, more than 100 students fit tightly³ into one room.

This past summer Koat provided extra classes to his students under an initiative⁴ of Plan International and other partners of the United Nations refugee agency. The idea is to help children catch up on schooling⁵ they missed because of fighting in South Sudan. He also teaches adults at the camp.

South Sudan's conflict has had a major effect on children. Jewi camp is home to fifty-four thousand refugees. As many as two-thirds of them are children. They lost their homes and some saw family members killed. The years of violence have also prevented the youngsters⁶ from having an education. Some never even had a chance to start school, and many who did have dropped out altogether.

Koat Reath shares much more than a love of learning with his young students. Like them, he is a victim of a war. He and his family fled to Ethiopia in 2015 after their home in Jonglei state was burned to the ground.

Nyamani Pur is a refugee student. She praises Koat’s work in the classroom.

She says, “I like how he teaches, and he is very funny. I like that.”

Koat and his fellow teachers are doing what they can to help their students. At this time, only two-thirds of South Sudanese children in Ethiopia can attend primary school.

Most of those attending primary school — about 86 percent — do not and cannot continue on to secondary school.

There are not enough classrooms, trained teachers or teaching materials for the South Sudanese refugees.

Koat is 41 years old and a father to five children. He admits to sometimes feeling tired, but keeps on going.

"I am tired, but I cannot say that I am tired because I am forwarding (preparing) the people to be like me or to be like other people around the world.”

The South Sudanese refugees learn in their native language and in English, while their teachers work to adapt to the Ethiopian education curriculum⁷.

Many teachers say their monthly pay of $27 is not enough. So they look for other kinds of work.

But not Koat Reath. He has a purpose, and loves what he is doing.

"I love this teaching because I want to forward (prepare) the young generation to be the good children in the future."

I’m Anne Ball.

Words in This Story

role – n. a part that someone or something has in a particular activity or situation

fit – v. to go into or through a particular space

initiative – n. a plan or program that is intended to solve a problem

catch up – n. to try to reach the same position, score, etc., as a competitor after you have fallen behind

drop out – n. a person who stops going to a school, college, etc., before finishing : a person who drops out of school

primary school – n. a school for young children

curriculum – n. the courses that are taught by a school or college

1 refugee   

n.难民，流亡者

参考例句：

• The refugee was condemned to a life of wandering.这个难民注定要过流浪的生活。
• The refugee is suffering for want of food and medical supplies.难民苦于缺少食物和医药用品。

2 refugees   

n.避难者，难民( refugee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The UN has begun making airdrops of food to refugees. 联合国已开始向难民空投食物。
• They claimed they were political refugees and not economic migrants. 他们宣称自己是政治难民，不是经济移民。

3 tightly   

adv.紧紧地，坚固地，牢固地

参考例句：

• My child holds onto my hand tightly while we cross the street.横穿马路时，孩子紧拉着我的手不放。
• The crowd pressed together so tightly that we could hardly breathe.人群挤在一起，我们几乎喘不过气来。

4 initiative   

n.主动性，首创精神，主动权（的行动），倡议

参考例句：

• He went to see the headmaster on his own initiative.他主动去看望校长。
• His employer had described him as lacking in initiative and drive.雇主说他缺乏进取心和干劲。

5 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

6 youngsters   

n.孩子( youngster的名词复数 )；少年；青年；年轻人

参考例句：

• We followed the youngsters at a more sedate pace. 我们跟在年轻人后面，步子稍慢一点。
• The camp is for youngsters aged 8 to 14. 这次夏令营是为8至14岁的少年儿童安排的。

7 curriculum   

n.课程，（学校等的）全部课程

参考例句：

• Is German on your school's curriculum?你们学校有德语课吗？
• The English curriculum should stress both composition and reading.英语课程对作文和阅读应同样重视。