South Sudan Primary leaving exams which started on Monday are progressing well but education officials in Unity, Eastern Equatoria, and Western Equatoria states have reported that more than 350 pupils could not sit the exams due to various reasons.
Unity State education minister Stephen Tot Chieng, told Radio Tamazuj Monday that over 313 out of the registered 1,827 candidates could not sit their exams due to missing index numbers.
“We have got some candidates that got no index (numbers). There was a proposal of preparing an emergency center for those who got no index numbers but unfortunately, we failed to do that due to instructions from (national education minister) Hon. Awut Deng Achuil who said that we should not set up centers in all the counties,” he said.
He added that they were only allowed to set up an emergency center in the headquarters of Unity State but that candidates from far-flung areas could not make it there due to floods.
Minister Tot said they have been asked to send the names of candidates whose index numbers are missing so that they can sit special examinations in a few weeks.
According to the minister, the total number of candidates in the state this year is now 1,827; 1, 286 males and 541 females in 38 examination centers across Unity State.
“Last year there were very few candidates but this year they have increased,” Tot said.
Gatkuoth Kuany Bol, a candidate who missed the exams at Naath Primary School said he has paid for and fulfilled every requirement to register but did not get an index number.
“We are 11 candidates from Naath Primary School who registered to sit for primary leaving examinations and we missed out on the examination on Monday,” Kuanmy lamented. “I am not happy at all because I have spent almost one year preparing for the exams.”
Another candidate from Liech Primary School in Bentiu’s displaced camp, Tor Majang, said about 44 candidates at his school missed the examinations due to missing index numbers.
“Now we are waiting for Minister Stephen Tot to bring our examinations. If the examination does not come, then we will wait to sit next year and this is what I told some of my colleagues,” a distraught Majang said.
Eastern Equatoria State
In Eastern Equatoria State, authorities confirmed that at least 20 pupils did not sit their exams but the numbers could be higher.
The state registered about 2,959 candidates; 1,278 females and 1,681 males.
The state education minister Summy Lopeyok Aperengole believes more pupils could be missing the national exams.
“What I know now is that there is one in Kapoeta, two in Torit here. I am still gathering information so that I come up with the proper number that is missing because some places don’t have network. One reason here is I visited Torit prison and found that one registered pupil was set free and is nowhere to be seen in Kapoeta. Another one in Torit escaped to Juba and when the parents were asked they said the boy was not supposed to sit maybe it is a family issue,” he said.
According to minister Lopeyok, some pupils from Central Equatoria state were able to sit in the state due to insecurity.
Nimule town council education director Angelina Asienjo confirmed that about 10 pupils could not sit the exams as the papers were not enough while others had issues with their index numbers which was later resolved.
“The 10 we cannot give them because the papers are not even enough and it was late because they came on Tuesday. Some of them their names did not appear in the register,” Asienjo said. “We have 639 and out of this 639 am sure around seven I have not yet subtracted who did not sit for the paper”.
Meanwhile, the director for quality assurance at Eastern Equatoria state ministry of education Lokulang Faustino says examinations are going on well but due to telephone network challenges they are not sure how the exams are progressing.
Western Equatoria State
Grace Apollo Musa, the education minister in Western Equatoria State says Tambura County has missed out on the exams due to insecurity.
“One of the reasons why the girls are few this year is because people in Tambura County were displaced by conflict. We do not have candidates in Tambura County this year, so this has been a challenge,” she stated.
About 2,259 pupils were registered in the state with 952 girls.
The fate of the pupils who missed the national exams remains unknown.