By Philip Buda Ladu
In an effort to address national examination malpractices, the Council of ministers have approved a bill that seeks to amend the National Examination Council Act 2011 (as amended) by incorporating a legal framework to punish exam violators.
Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Justice Ruben Marol Arol, presented a memo to the cabinet about incorporating punitive measures into the National Examination Council Act 2011 amended Bill 2023.
Jacob Maiju Korok, the deputy minister of information told journalists in a media briefing on Friday that the cabinet listened to the memo presented by Justice Arol and passed it.
“The purpose of the Bill is to amend the National Examination Council Act 2011 to incorporate offences and penalties that were not foreseen due to the technology revolution” Korok said.
He added the memo also seeks to align the act with the revitalized agreement and interim constitution “To confirm the National Examination Act 2011 with provisions of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolutions of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) 2018 and the transitional constitution 2011 as amended.
Korok noted that after thorough deliberation by the memo was unanimously passed, which would await its presentation to the transitional national assembly for further scrutiny and enactment.
The regular council of ministers meeting No.7/2024 was chaired by President Salva Kiir Mayardit.
Since South Sudan’s independence attained from Sudan in 2011 there have been serious reports of unprecedented examination fraud and malpractices in the country’s education system.
This month the national Minister of General Education and Instruction, Awut Deng Acuil warned learners across the country against engaging in examination malpractices popularly known as ‘Machot’ countrywide’
Mrs. Awut who spoke recently at the launch of Arabic language and Islamic Religious Education textbooks in Juba, urged learners to uphold integrity while writing the national examinations.
“You do not go to school to be given Machot, you went to school to acquire knowledge to help resolve problems that are facing South Sudan,” she echoed.
The minister termed the students as “problem solvers”, and challenged them not to wait in class thinking that teachers would give them Machot at the end of the day warning that “it is not going to happen.”
In November 2023, the vice president for the service cluster, Hussein Abdelbagi, warned of tough punitive measures against individuals who might be caught assisting in cheating on the national examination across the country.
Mr. Abdelbagi ordered serious measures including cancellation of exams and prosecution of any person caught aiding in exams cheating.