VZCZCXYZ0028
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKH #2589/01 3041408
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 311408Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5089
INFO RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0187
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0034

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