A new secondary school has officially opened in Imehejek Administrative Area in Eastern Equatoria State, providing a major boost to education access for hundreds of learners who previously travelled long distances in search of secondary education.
The newly opened Iboni Secondary School has started operations with the enrollment of 100 Senior One students, following its official launch as part of government efforts to bring essential services closer to communities.
The Chief Administrator of Imehejek Administrative Area, Lino Attari Obiong, said the establishment of the school marks a significant milestone for the community, especially for learners completing primary education from surrounding schools.
According to Obiong, the school was initially opened by the Governor of Eastern Equatoria State, H.E. Louis Lobong Lojore, in 2024, but has now transitioned into a fully functioning secondary school beginning with Senior One classes.
“This school will help many learners because we have several primary schools producing candidates who now need a nearby secondary school,” he said.
He explained that learners from Ibahure Primary School, Iboni Primary School, St. Mary’s Primary School, Ohilang Primary School, and Imoloha Primary School will now have an opportunity to continue their education without travelling far away from their families.
The administrator said bringing secondary education closer to communities will reduce the burden on parents and encourage more children to remain in school.
“Instead of children leaving their homes to search for education elsewhere, they will now learn closer to their parents. This will help them continue their studies in a better environment,” he added.
Despite the progress, Obiong identified several challenges facing the new institution, including shortages of qualified teachers, learning materials, and classroom furniture.
He said the school currently has only three government-employed teachers, while many others are working as part-time teachers without official government positions.
“One of the major challenges is the shortage of teachers. We have only three teachers who are on the government payroll, while many others are part-time,” he explained.
The school is also facing shortages of scholastic materials, desks, and other basic requirements needed for effective learning.
However, Obiong praised the local community for supporting the initiative and encouraged parents and stakeholders to continue contributing toward the success of the school.
“The community is already putting in effort to support the school. We need everyone to continue supporting teachers and the learning process,” he said.
He called on parents from Imehejek and neighbouring administrative areas to take ownership of the school, saying education is one of the most important services delivered to communities.
Meanwhile, Ambrose Oyet Albino, Director for Alternative Education System in Eastern Equatoria State, Ambross Oyet Albino, confirmed that the opening of Iboni Secondary School followed an assessment conducted by the education authorities in 2024.
Albino, who led the assessment team on 29 March 2024, said the decision was made after identifying a growing number of primary school graduates in the area who needed access to secondary education.
He explained that several primary schools in the area, including Ibahore, Iboni, Ohilang, and Imoloha, were producing many candidates who could not easily access secondary education due to distance and limited facilities.
“That is why we proposed that Iboni Secondary School should be opened, and now it has started operating this year,” Albino said.
According to Albino, the expansion of secondary schools will help keep children in school and reduce the movement of learners to other towns such as Torit in search of education.
“We want learners to access education within their communities. We do not want any child to be left behind,” he said.
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