Abstract

This paper examines the history of academic secondary education in the localities of Shendi and Al-Matammah during the period from 1963 to 2019. It aims to document and investigate the emergence and development of secondary education in these areas. The study adopts both the historical method and the case study approach, relying on a range of relevant sources and references. It seeks to analyze the factors influencing the spread of secondary education in the two localities under the successive political regimes that governed Sudan. The analysis is structured around three main themes: the origin and expansion of secondary education, governmental policies, and the partnership between the state and society in the education sector. The study concludes that the partnership between the state and the local communities significantly contributed to the expansion of upper secondary education in the region. It recommends formulating a localized educational policy that considers population distribution, density, and actual need, to ensure equitable distribution of secondary schools and to reduce the educational gap between rural and urban areas.