Vernacular education in the Southern Sudan: A test case for literacy

Abstract

Abstract This paper presents the results of the first impact evaluation of the Local Languages Literacy Project in the Southern Sudan conducted in late 1980. Background, process, and outcome data were collected focusing on two Primary 2 project classes using the new project materials and two comparison classes not using these materials. The background data revealed serious obstacles to the teaching of literacy skills to primary school pupils in the Southern Sudan. Among these obstacles are a lack of educational materials, trained teachers, and contact with and use for literacy skills outside of school. The process data showed that largely ineffective methods were used to each literacy skills in the two comparison classes and, to a slightly lesser extent, in the two project classes. These methods consisted almost entirely of repetitive reading drills with little or no emphasis on meaning. The outcome data suggested that the general reading ability of all four classes examined was quite poor. However, the l...