SUDAN: EDUCATION MINISTER ON POTENTIAL COOPERATION

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 002589

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/SPG, AF/PD
STATE ALSO FOR ECA/A/L AND IIP/AF
CAIRO FOR RELO
PARIS FOR ARS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO SCUL PREL PGOV SU
SUBJECT: SUDAN: EDUCATION MINISTER ON POTENTIAL COOPERATION

Ref: Maybury-SCHOLZ e-mails 10/30/06 and previous


1. (U) Summary: Sudan's Minister of General Education, Dr. Hamid
Mohammed Ibrahim, told PAO during an Oct. 31 courtesy call at the
Ministry that he favored greater cooperation between the United
States and Sudan on educational issues. The Education Minister, who
oversees the K-12 system in Sudan, welcomed a late November visit by
the Cairo-based Regional English Language Officer to consult with a
broad spectrum of education officials about English language
training needs specifically, and teacher training and curriculum
development issues in general. End Summary.


2. (U) On Oct. 31, PAO, accompanied by Embassy Cultural Affairs
Assistant and Information Resource Assistant, paid a courtesy call
on Sudanese Minister of General Education, Dr. Hamid Mohammed
Ibrahim. The meeting was both an opportunity for the PAO to
introduce himself after just over one month in Sudan, but also to
preview a planned visit to Sudan (Khartoum and Juba) in late
November/early December by the Cairo-based Regional English Language
Officer (RELO).


3. (U) The Education Minister assembled a high-level team that
included the State Minister for General Education, Mohammed Abu
Kalabeesh; the Under Secretary for Education, Dr. Mutasim Abdul
Rahim (a graduate of the University of Indiana and Howard
University); the Director General for the National Center for
Curriculum and Educational Research, Dr. Mohammed Muzammel El
Basheer; the Director for Educational Planning, Dr. Ibrahim El
Desais; and the Director of Sudan Open University (distance
learning),Dr. Ahmed El Tayeb.

Preview of RELO visit
--------------


4. (U) During the 45-minute exchange, PAO outlined the role of a
RELO and the Embassy's desire to have broad and frank consultations
with education officials during the RELO's mission. The minister
welcomed the initiative. Sudan has its own institutions that are
responsible for curriculum development, teacher training, and
promoting the English language, the minister said. In addition,
Sudan has many friends in the international community who are
assisting it with education, including English language development.
Despite this assistance, Sudan would like to see the United States
play a greater role in the education field, he said. The minister
added that Sudan had continued to offer public education despite
years of civil conflict.

Revamping education
--------------


5. (U) The Sudanese educational establishment is under review, with
Education Ministry officials discussing how to revamp the K-12
curriculum to make it more relevant. Pressure is coming from all
quarters, including parents, teachers, and politicians, said
curriculum expert Dr. El Basheer (a graduate of Fort Wayne
University and the University of Detroit). The ministry also faces
the challenge of creating a national curriculum for all Sudanese
pupils. A translation of the national curriculum from Arabic into
English is under way, but the resources are lacking to complete the
task. To complicate matters, Southern Sudan's educational
establishment is already using Kenyan and Ugandan curricula. This
has implications for graduation standards and university admissions.
El Basheer liked PAO's suggestion that Sudanese curriculum
specialists have an opportunity to exchange ideas with a U.S.
curriculum expert, possibly via DVC. In addition, some in South
Sudan do not want as much Islamic education in the curriculum, and
some want their children to have more exposure to English rather
than Arabic.


6. (U) On a national level, there has been discussion about
providing English as early as the third grade. Currently, public
schools begin teaching English in grade 5. There were some who
wanted to offer English as early as the first grade, but some
parents objected to exposing their children to more than their
mother tongue (Arabic) that early.

In-country travel to build contacts
--------------


7. (U) The minister approved PAO's notional plan for meeting school
administrators, academics, and students in the greater Khartoum area
and in other regions, although he underscored the importance of
obtaining MFA and Interior Ministry consent prior to travel. (Note:
Embassy PAS hopes to travel to Bakht El Ruda in El Dueim, a
three-hour drive from Khartoum. El Dueim has hosted the National
Center for Curriculum and Education Research since 1934 and is
well-known for training curriculum specialists in the Middle East
and Africa. End note.)

Comment:
--------------


8. (SBU) Education Minister Dr. Ibrahim appeared to be genuinely
interested in developing educational cooperation with the United
States. Following the meeting, he told Embassy Cultural Affairs
Assistant that he would like to forget about politics and focus on
education. The minister, who served as Dean of the Faculty of
Education at Red Sea University (Eastern Sudan) prior to his
nomination as Minister of Education, is a member of the opposition
Democratic Union Party. His high-level team included a variety of
political tendencies, including members of the ruling National
Congress Party.

WHITAKER