By Chol Makol Riak
At least 2,815 candidates are sitting their final South Sudan Certificate of Secondary Examination (SSCSE) in Jonglei State at 35 centers.
The Director for examination in the State ministry of education, Michael Mabior Makur said some of the centers were interrupted by the recent floods in the State, and they have to sit in different centers.
“Jonglei state has 35 centers. 19 centers in Juba and 16 centers are here in Jonglei state headquarters. The numbers of the students seating for the exams this year is 2,815 of which 1,939 are boys while 876 are girls that totals to 2,815 candidates,” he said.
The State Education Director Mabior said that some of the students might be missing exams, saying they are yet to confirm how many students were not able to sit for the exams.
He encouraged the candidates adding that the state is hoping to celebrate their victory in the fourth coming results.
“For the candidates that are sitting for the exams, these exams are just like other normal exams that you always do, there is no difference. Just be calm in the class and do your paper as you have been doing other exams before. For our case as Jonglei state, I encourage you to perform highly more than other states in the country,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lual Monyluak Dau, Jonglei state minister of general education and instruction said some schools have been affected by either insecurity or flooding of last year.
“Those schools in Juba are the schools allocated to other counties due to insecurity. We established those schools to operate in Juba and in some other counties; we only have senior one and senior two and will have senior four after two years,” Lual said.
He stressed that the education system has been affected in some counties of Jonglei state by insecurity and the delay of payment of teachers.
“The most challenges that we are facing is insecurity and that is why schools from other payams like Baidit, Anyidi and Makuach have relocated to Bor town and those who can not manage to reside in town have immediately dropped out of school,” Lual said.
He also expounded on the delay in payment of teachers’ salaries.
“The delay in payment of teachers’ salaries is another challenge. When teachers are not paid regularly, it sometimes makes other teachers to be off and on in the class but with this year, the government has topped up the salaries of teachers. This was a nationwide issue.”
He thereafter wished all the candidates success and encouraged them to concentrate and be courageous in their exams.
For his part, Tuong Majok, acting governor of Jonglei state encouraged the students not to worry and to take courage.
“I’m here to give you words of courage as sons and daughters today. As I’m standing in front of you today, I am seeing the best students in you. There is no difference between this exams from other exams that you have sat for from senior one to this level that you are in today and we hope for the same to happen now and as the results will be out later I wish to here that you are all in the university. It is a matter of confidence when you are in an examination room. Be confident of yourself and you will do well,” Majok said.