The government of Eastern Equatoria State has rejected a directive by the national general education ministry to reduce national secondary school examination centers to only three across the state, saying the move will deny many candidates a chance to write their final exams.
Earlier this month, the national minister of general education and Instruction, Awut Deng Acuil, wrote a letter to Governor Louis Lobong Lojore naming Nimule, Torit, and Kapoeta as the only centers in the state for this year’s national secondary school final examinations.
Minister Awut’s directive, according to the minister of general education in Eastern Equatoria State, Sammy Lopeyok Aperengole, was supposedly informed by insecurity in the state.
The state parliament has described the move as a violation of the rights of the child to education, citing the long distances and risks the students will undertake to sit for the examinations in faraway locations.
The Acting Speaker of State Parliament, Peter Bosco Lotiam, said there is no clear justification about the alteration of the examination centers in Eastern Equatoria, saying all the existing 27 centers are ready for the exercise.
“There is really no justification for why our 27 centers in Eastern Equatoria State should be reduced to 3 only. It is indeed our stand that the centers, the 27, have to remain as the state minister of education and the governor have directed,” Acting Speaker Lotyam said, “We do not have the issue of leaking exams and this has been the policy of Eastern Equatoria state. I do not think there has been any leaking of exams in Eastern Equatoria from the beginning of the state to date.”
State education minister Sammy Lopeyok said he was summoned by state parliament on Thursday to shed light on the examination center’s issue.
“I just came to respond to the assembly on the issue of reduction of examination centers by the national ministry of education. We received a letter written to the governor by the national minister of education and its subject is insecurity,” Minister Lopeyok said. “That is why they came up with the reduction of centers and nothing is affecting us in terms of security. Eastern Equatoria is okay and there is no issue pertaining to insecurity that affects education.”
Lokulang Faustino, the director for quality assurance at the state ministry of education said challenges associated with the reduction of examination centers may scuttle the exams in the state.
“To have a conducive environment for examinations, we expect all centers to remain in place because sending these children from one center to another will cause challenges,” Lokulang said. “The issue of mobility, feeding, and accommodation will create challenges.”
Sikuku Rose, the director of education in Torit municipality warned that the national ministry of general education should be ready to take responsibility for any uncertainties that may arise due to the reduction of examination centers. She criticized the national education minister for targeting and reducing the centers only in Eastern Equatoria State despite many states in the country experiencing insecurity.
Eastern Equatoria State registered 2293 candidates, 766 girls, and 1527 boys, in the 27 centers across the state for the national secondary school final examinations this year.