South Sudan on Wednesday, August 5, launched a four-year education program aimed at improving learning outcomes for children affected by conflict, displacement and other humanitarian crises through play-based teaching and psychosocial support.
The Play Matters Phase Two program, funded by a $14.5 million grant from the LEGO Foundation, will be implemented by a consortium of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Plan International and the War Child Alliance, in partnership with six national organisations and the Ministry of General Education and Instruction.
Running from July 2026 to June 2030, the initiative will support 420 schools across 12 counties in seven states, benefiting more than 160,000 children, teachers, caregivers, community leaders and education officials.
At the launch in Juba, the Ministry’s Undersecretary for General Education and Instruction, Olok Omot Okony, said the programme comes at a time when South Sudan faces major education challenges, including poor foundational learning and about 2.8 million children being out of school.
He said the Government would work with partners to integrate play-based learning into teacher training institutions and professional development programs to ensure the approach continues beyond donor funding.
War Child Alliance Country Director Zerihun Yohannes said addressing children’s emotional well-being is critical to learning in crisis environments, noting that children and teachers affected by trauma often struggle to engage effectively in classrooms.
The program will train teachers to identify signs of distress among learners and use structured play to support recovery, improve participation and strengthen classroom experiences. It will also include emergency response measures to provide learning materials and psychosocial support during crises such as flooding and conflict.
Implementing partners acknowledged that the program covers only a small portion of South Sudan’s education needs and called for increased investment to expand the model to more schools.
The consortium said the play-based approach has previously been implemented in Uganda, Ethiopia and Tanzania, reaching nearly 934,000 children and improving literacy, numeracy, learner engagement and teacher well-being.
The initiative will also promote inclusive education by supporting girls, children with disabilities and displaced learners while strengthening collaboration with education authorities and teacher training institutions.