The Sudanese government, which is temporarily based in Port Sudan, announced its intention to hold Secondary Certificate exams on December 28 this year, for the first time since the outbreak of the war in mid-April 2023.
More than 343 thousand students sit for exams, in the areas controlled by the Sudanese army (northern and eastern states) and Egypt, representing 67 percent of students in general.
The “Rapid Support Forces”, which control large areas in the states of Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum, Jazira and other areas, refused to hold exams, describing the move as part of deliberate policies aimed at dividing the country and depriving tens of thousands of students in combat zones.
Chad also refused to hold exams on its territory as refugees.
The minister in charge of Education, Ahmed Khalifa, announced at a press conference in the city of Port Sudan, the interim administrative capital of the country, that all arrangements have been completed, noting that it is the first time that the timings of the exams have been changed, as it was decided to hold the sessions at half past two in the afternoon country time, instead of eight in the morning, in recognition of the conditions of students sitting in Egypt, more than 27 thousand students in 25 centers, out of a total of 49 thousand students sitting for exams from outside Sudan. He said that the Egyptian government stated that it could not hold exams in the morning period.
The minister pointed out that two emergency centers have been equipped in the cities of Atbara and Damer (north of the country), where students can enroll 24 hours before the start of exams. He stressed that all security arrangements are reassuring for the holding of exams, adding: “We have alternative plans in case of an emergency… But the fears and threats are few”.
He also explained that the exams will be held in 12 states where 120,724 students have been displaced from unsafe states, rejecting accusations against them that the organization of exams under these conditions deprives thousands of students in combat zones of the opportunity to sit for exams.
The minister said: “We have not wronged students in the Darfur region or others … There are 35 percent of the examinee students are expats. The number of displaced students has increased by 100 percent in the states of Gedaref and the Nile river,”he said. “We were able to satisfy the desire of 67 percent of students who registered for exams before the war,”he added.
Khalifa said that the Chadian government is still adamant not to hold Sudanese Certificate exams on its territory, arguing that they are refugees and they have to study the Chadian curriculum, which deprives 13 thousand students, stressing the readiness of the ministry to send exams if the state of Chad agrees.
The minister of education in Sudan revealed that the security services have completed all the necessary security arrangements for holding exams, explaining that there are security committees with a high level of experience and expertise that have completed their work to the best.
He stated that the exam papers were printed inside Sudan with high quality and with modern and advanced devices in a short time not exceeding 15 days.
According to the Sudanese teachers Committee (an independent union), more than 60 percent of students eligible to sit for exams will be denied them, in particular in Darfur and greater Kordofan, parts of the capital Khartoum, the island and other areas experiencing insecurity.
According to the statistics of the United Nations Children’s fund (UNICEF), the continuation of the war prevented 12 million Sudanese students at various school levels from continuing education.
