South Sudan’s national examinations for secondary school students have kicked off today in different centers across the country including at the United Nations protection sites where 1,351 displaced students sat for the paper.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Bol Makueng Yuol, who ring the first bell at the main center in Supiri Secondary School said that the government appreciated UNMISS for transporting the examination materials to other remote centers where the government could not reach.
“We are have been doing much preparations to make sure this exams become a success and make a good environment for the students,” Makueng noted, saying the government is committed to providing good care to all citizens by providing the examination.
Last month, the Ministry of Education announced that 13,678 registered students will sit for the South Sudan secondary school examination with 101 testing centers across the country.
Radio Tamazuj visited one testing center at the displaced camp at UN house on Jebel Yei Road where 44 students registered to sit for the examination. Only 30 students turned up to write their paper. Meanwhile, at the Tongping UN protection site there were 91 students.
At the Juba Girls Secondly School there 286 students and three absent.
After the examination, a few students like Sarah John complained that the paper was difficult. She said she was supposed to sit for the paper in March 2014, but it was pushed to June 2014.
However, Sarah predicted that she will pass the exam.
Meanwhile, 153 students from the Republic of Sudan have been registered to sit for the South Sudan Secondary School examination in Yida refugee camp of Unity state.
Photo: Students sit for their exams at UN House on Yei Road in Juba (above and below); and Bol Makueng Yol, Deputy Minister of Education, addresses the press (below)