Access to formal education in Sudan is difficult for most girls and boys and impossible for far too many. Ongoing war and conflict have diverted half of the government's budget and have led to the virtual collapse of the educational system in large swathes of the country. Following the imposition of Sharīʿa law by President Nimeiri in 1983, government educational policies requiring students to be taught in Arabic and to receive Islamic religious education have been enforced, even in regional sch…