At least 536 students, including both primary eight and secondary four candidates in Unity State’s Panyija County, face the unfortunate fate of missing the national examinations scheduled for next Monday.
The decision stems from the National Ministry of General Education’s decision not to transport examination papers to the county.
Stephen Tot Jock Chieng, the Unity State Minister of General Education, told Radio Tamazuj Monday that the affected 536 students, comprising 466 primary eight leavers and 70 senior four candidates, will miss the 2023/24 national examinations.
The National Ministry of General Education has officially notified Dr. Joseph Manytuil, the governor of Unity State, about the examination’s postponement in Panyijar. The communication highlighted that students from Panyijar County will not be able to sit for the examination in Panyijar unless they are transported to Leer.
Minister Tot however stated that they did not agree with the national education ministry to suspend the examinations in Panyijar County.
“We were supposed to be informed two or three months in advance or at least three months before the examination date. This could have allowed us ample time to prepare and we could also have managed to transport the students from Panyijar to Leer County or Bentiu headquarters, as they mentioned recently,” Tot said. “I am appealing to the president to address the challenges that are blocking our students in Panijar who are going to miss the national examinations which are set to start next Monday.”
The Unity State education minister however admitted that the same thing happened last year during the national examination when one examination center in Panyijar County allegedly obtained examination papers before the scheduled date.
“It is not the first time for Panyijar County to have such cases. Last year, 24 senior four students did not sit their exams,” he explained. “In Unity State as a whole, 214 students did not sit the Primary Leaving Examinations last year.”