The Education history in the Sudan dates back to the early eras as proved by archaeological evidence. Later, the types of education have greatly been developed until the Islamic expansion stage which greatly changed the cultural structure which was enhanced by the inception of the successive Islamic states in the Sudan noticeably the Black Sultanate during which educational institutions had spread influencing the culture of the Sudanese people.
The Turkish rule, coinciding with the emergence of the Industrial Revolution in Europe and the recession of the Islamic expansion, sought modern schooling alternatives paralleled to the prevailing religious schooling.
The first types of this education were schools established by Rufa'a Rafie Al-Tahtawe in some Sudanese towns.
Then came the Mahdist Revolution which did not last for long due to foreign hostility, especially colonizers, because of its foundation on the very essence of the Islamic Dawa.
The condominium rule came to power as extension of the former Turkish rule. It opted for modern school to serve their own interests, a matter which led to unification of the Sudanese popular ranks to stand against such policy by establishing regular private schools. With the advent of independence, regular education developed and went on up to the current time.

In 1900, Sir Ogar was appointed as the first director of education. The Education Administration was established by the British colonial authorities at that time for the following purposes:

• Creation of efficient craftsmen class
  
• Dissemination of enough education among the people to enable them to understand the governmental system.
  
• Creation of a class of junior administrators able to occupy the various government's posts. This was besides restricting expansion of religious education which had been prevailing since the early centuries of Islam.

The role of the administration had developed specially after the emergence of the national Graduates' Congress and the establishment of a special committee for education in April 1938. After the first memo issued by the congress was rejected by the colonizers, the graduates had proposed establishment of the private schooling.
The secondary education had developed in 1940s with the establishment of Hantoub and Wadi Saydna Secondary Schools.
The first education ministry was set up after the formation of the Legislative Assembly in 1948, with Astaz Abdel-Rahman Ali Taha as the first national minister of education.

At the advent of independence, the number of schools increased and that the responsibilities of the ministry had grown up until 1969 when the May regime came to power bringing in a new education ladder and accordingly the schooling years were changed and subjects, most of them were in English were arabicized in the secondary schools.

The education ladder was changed in Sudan from (6+3+3) to (2+8+3) to include two-year pre-school stage, 8-year basic stage and three years for the secondary school stage.
The new educational ladder's application had started with the fifth class for the academic year 1991. The 8th class pupils, for the first time, since the application of the new educational ladder sat for the secondary school entrance examination in the academic year of 1994/95.

• The basic stage curriculum has developed and divided into three sessions: the first session includes the first, the second and third class, the second session draws the fourth, the fifth and sixth class while the third session include the seventh and eighth class.
  
• The English language subject was introduced and taught as from the fifth class of the basic stage.
  
• Teaching is integrated and not based on disconnected subjects.
  
• Teachers training institutes were promoted to colleges and annexed to existing and new universities to train teachers of the basic stage to obtain B.A. degree in addition to the training of secondary school teachers.
  
• Following the issuance of the fourth constitutional decree in 1991, the federal ministry of education's responsibilities have been confined to the following:
  1. Dissemination and guidance of education.
     
  2. Eradication of illiteracy, spreading of occupational education and training and qualificaion of educational drop-out.
     
  3. Training of teachers according to plans, programmes and goals of the general education.
     
  4. Preparation and development of syllabuses.
     
  5. Supervision of private education's affairs.
     
  6. The structure of the federal ministry of education draws seven administrations for planning, training, curriculum, students' activity, foreign and cultural relations, general affairs and coordination and the education evaluation administration. They are supervised by directors who are responsible to the ministry's under-secreta

• Setting of education plans, policies and programmes.
  
• Formulation and authentication of the general education's curricula.
  Training of teachers in coordination with education ministries in the
• states and faculties of education.
  
• Linking the general education with the community.
  
• Administering the Sudan certificate examination.
  
• Patronizing of the students' activity according to the state's orientation.
  
• Furthering the Sudan's foreign relations with regional organizations and states in the field of education.
  
• Supervision of the Sudanese schools abroad.
  
• Technical supervision of private education.
  
• Setting syllabus and programmes of eradicating illiteracy and educating youngsters and syllabus for the pre-school stage and special education.
  
• Coordination between the organs of federal education and education organs in states.
  
• Coordination with the concerned authorities for qualification and training of educational drop-out.