The role of parents and community in the education of their children in Episcopal Church schools in Yei County in the context of a ‘post-independent conflict’ South Sudan (2011-2022) with an emphasis on the issues of role, context, and policy

Education in South Sudan operates in a context where the government is unable to sustain schools. This research explores the role of parents and community in the education of their children in Episcopal church schools in Yei County in the context of a ‘post-independent conflict’ South Sudan (2011-2022). South Sudanese communities including the churches operate schools in an environment that has faced over twenty years of conflict and continued unrest. Government educational procedures support and structures are largely dysfunctional. Qualitative findings through observations, interviews, thick description and use of documents as a source of data show that the role of parents has emerged as critical, but it is a role not given formal recognition. The use of role and modernization theories and a bottom-up approach in this research reveals that the support of parents, from 1980s to date, are the key to the strong resilience that holds the parents and communities together and enables the education system to function under significantly reduced government spending. Community and church initiatives have led to the emergence and strengthening of grass-roots educational ‘communities of practice’. The research shows that church initiatives in promoting peace for the twenty-one years of conflict forged a learning space for the emergence of these communities in the Parent Teachers Associations (PTAs) that have proved vital in sustaining education. The thesis further argues that the Episcopal Church should be recognised for its efforts in building local democracy and decentralisation. It shows that local communities are negotiating the changes between the strong communalism of traditional societies and the individualism characteristic of modern societies. This shift is visible in the discussions with the parents in PTAs concerning whether they can sustain the roles expected of them, given their lack of professional skills in governance, financial accountability, and bureaucratic procedures. The thesis argues that building an education system in a ‘post-independent conflict’ context requires both ‘bottom-up’ and ‘top-down’ approaches because local and national or international expertise and experiences are relevant but require a clearer recognition of the respective roles of parents, community and the government. The thesis proposes a redefinition of the government role in education at national, state and county levels, along with the crucial roles of the churches, Parent Teacher Associations, headteachers, and other community members for more effective learning in the current situation.