Sudan Archive

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The past was not ignorance of reading and writing, but rather a simple, naive understanding. The recent setbacks have increased the relationship between the farmer, the merchant, and the craftsman, making them more knowledgeable and pious than before. This has led to their increased reliance on their own judgment and personal capabilities, and their ignorance of reading and writing has become a deficiency and a shortcoming. Even with little knowledge, we can obtain valuable elements that form the fabric of a nation, in addition to the education and refinement that knowledge brings to a person's character and morals. If we consider the shortcomings of what was considered primary education, which was limited to strengthening memory, then education confined to books leaves some of the most potent mental faculties undeveloped and unrefined. However, engaging in manual labor develops precision and accuracy in observation, trains the hand in craftsmanship, instills in the mind the importance of honesty in work, cultivates diligence, mastery, and attention to detail, and stimulates the mind in general.

The greatest need for progress of this kind is to devise a type of rural school that is suitable for meeting the specific needs of agricultural regions, with the strong hope of increasing the number of educated children. It is not surprising that rushing to expand education in rural areas without careful consideration means disrupting agricultural interests, upon which most of the country's strength depends. If the rural population leaves their homes for industry, it would be a great economic and social blow to them. To avoid this danger, children should be taught for half the day in schools and spend the other half in farming. The school day should be adjusted to suit the agricultural seasons, as this is the best solution to this problem.

If the aim is to achieve the best results from this local system, it is essential that the education councils of the provinces accelerate their ranking to learn from the Ministry of Education. This does not mean that these two bodies should be unified, but rather that one should assist the other in educating the country. The Ministry of Education will provide development and assistance, as it does now, and also supervision when necessary. It will likely continue to manage secondary and higher technical schools. The provincial education councils will be responsible for managing the kuttabs, commercial schools, agricultural schools, primary schools, and teacher training schools that operate in most schools.

The government has shown its confidence in this new system of local education and its desire for its success.

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