South Sudan's education minister Thursday said about 900 Primary 8 pupils who missed the ongoing Primary Leaving Examinations will now sit starting Monday 15 February 2021.

Last week, Awut Deng Achuil also the Chairperson of the South Sudan National Examination Council, announced that candidates in the SPLM-IO-controlled areas will miss out on the examinations due to security concerns.

The minister addressing the press today said the pupils are from parts of Upper Nile and Jonglei states.

“It is my pleasure to inform the nation that the Ministry of General Education and the National Examinations Council has decided to fix new dates for the conduct of Primary eight examinations for the pupils that had missed out on the initial examination,” Minister Awut announced. “Transportation to the locations will take place from Friday 12th through Sunday 14th February 2021. The administration of examination will begin on Monday 15th February 2021 and end by Friday 19th February 2021.”

According to her 95 candidates from Nasir, 220 from Longuchik, 61 from Akobo, 223 from Pangak, 109 from Ayod, 141 from Nyiro, and 154 candidates from Romic in Tonj East will sit the delayed exams.

“We are announcing this to inform the nation that these are the new dates for the examination of these 900 students in different examination centers. They also had to participate in the initial examination but they did not so there is an opportunity. There is a plan B for them to do the examination,” Minister Awut concluded.

The Office of First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar, also said in a press release yesterday that the issue of the primary eight finalists was resolved in a meeting of the services cluster and that they would sit their examinations soon.

“His Excellency the First Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, as usual, has directed the authorities in the areas where the examinations will take place to cooperate and provide security and protection to all those who will be taking the examinations material, as well as the examiners,” the press release signed by press secretary James Gatdet Dak read in part.

He said the examiners and relevant staff will be accompanied by a delegation of officials from the parties concerned, mainly the revitalized government of national unity and the SPLM/A (IO).