South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Jenifer James
Schools are partaking of the Secondary School Certificate in South Sudan with about 48,484 students participating in the exercise.
The candidates, including 19,933 females and 28,551 males, are spread across 319 examination centers from 526 secondary schools nationwide, a significant milestone for the country’s education system.
While speaking at Juba Commercial Secondary School yesterday before ringing the bell to signal the commencement of the exams, Vice President and the Chairperson for the Service Cluster, Hussein Abdelbagi, encouraged students to focus on their exams and avoid malpractice.
“As you sit for your exams, concentrate fully and let your skills and knowledge shine. Do not allow yourself to be tempted by examination malpractice,” he said.
Abdelbagi warned of the severe consequences of cheating, emphasizing that any student caught engaging in malpractice would have their results canceled and would need to retake the examination in the future. “The consequences are severe and long-lasting,” he said.
Abdelbagi, urged the teachers to uphold professional integrity and remain vigilant. “Any teacher involved in malpractice is not a professional. Such individuals will be arrested and prosecuted. I urge you to guide and support the students while maintaining the highest standards of integrity,” he said.
For his part, the deputy minister of higher education, Martin Tako Mayi, praised the students for reaching this critical stage of their 12-year educational journey. He also cautioned them against relying on false examination papers.
“We have eliminated the spirit of false papers since last year. This year, examinations are tied tighter than ever under strict directives from the vice president. Anyone relying on misinformation will only mislead themselves,” Tako said. He reiterated that cheating would lead to the immediate nullification of results.
However, Zachariah Cirisio, the Minister of Education for Central Equatoria State, urged students to remain calm, describing examinations as a routine part of academic life, and discouraged malpractice and wished the candidates success in their endeavors.
As the examinations continue, the government has emphasized the importance of integrity, hard work, and adherence to the rules to ensure a credible and successful process.