Partner since:
Total grant support: US$177,494,948
Grant eligibility:
Partnership Compact
Priority: Improve learning outcomes in a more inclusive and equal basic education.
Coordinating agency: FCDO
GPE Team lead: Morten Sigsgaard
Only 35% of South Sudanese above age 15 can read and write, ranking the country with the fourth-lowest literacy rate in the world. As of 2021, 2.8 million children were out of school, and girls face disproportionate hardships, such as child marriage, that force them to abandon education.
The government is working with GPE and other partners to improve learning outcomes in a more inclusive and equal basic education.
The South Sudan Partnership Compact aligns with the national education sector plan for 2023-2027 and outlines how the priority reform will be implemented. With a focus on pre-primary and primary education, better teacher management and training are expected to contribute to more effective teaching that meets the diverse needs of students.
Increased technical and financial assistance to schools will reduce economic barriers to education for families and enhance the learning environment for students. Other measures to expand access, especially for girls and children with disabilities, include building schools in hard-to-reach areas and increasing community awareness of inclusive education.
South Sudan is also improving service delivery and coordination of basic education through better public finance and data management.
of government expenditure on education
(data as of September 17, 2025)
Type: System transformation and Girls' Education Accelerator
Years: 2025 - 2029
Allocation: US$56,430,000
Utilization: US$110,826
Grant agent: Save the Children Norway, UNICEF
Type: Multiplier
Years: 2025 - 2029
Allocation: US$4,000,000
Utilization: 0
Grant agent: Save the Children Norway
Type: System capacity
Years: 2025 - 2028
Allocation: US$2,011,335
Utilization: 0
Grant agent: Save the Children Norway
Type: Multiplier
Years: 2024 - 2029
Allocation: US$12,330,000
Utilization: US$2,447,762
Grant agent: World Bank
As part of its investment in civil society advocacy and social accountability efforts, GPE’s Education Out Loud fund is supporting the South Sudan National Education Coalition for the 2024-2026 period. This builds on previous support from the Civil Society Education Fund (CSEF).
