By William Madouk
Vice President for Service Cluster, Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, has issued a stern warning to teachers and invigilators against involvement in exam malpractices.
The warning comes as Senior Four students across Juba are currently sitting for their national examinations. Abdelbagi urged all stakeholders, to ensure the integrity of the exams and to maintain a fair and transparent process.
“To all the teachers, I want you to invigilate with integrity. Once you get involved in exam malpractice, you indicate that you are not a professional teacher,” said VP Akol.
“Any teacher who will be caught involving himself or herself in any form of exam malpractice will be arrested and prosecuted,” he added.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony held at Juba Commercial Secondary School in Juba, VP Akol warned candidates of severe penalties should they be involved in cheating when writing their exams.
“As you sit for your exam, I want you to concentrate and demonstrate your skills and abilities,” he advised.
“Do not be tempted to be involved in exam malpractice because it comes with severe consequences. Your result will be cancelled and you will have to do the exam again in the years ahead,” he continued.
A total of 48,484 students comprising 28,551 males and 19,993 have started writing their South Sudan’s Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE) examinations in 525 schools across the country.
Day one of the senior four CSE) examinations began with Christian Religious Education (CRE) and Islamic Religious Education (IRE).
Meanwhile, Martin Tako Moyi, Deputy Minister of General Education and Instruction, resonated Vice President’s message and urged candidates to give their best shoot in the exams.
“Some of you may have been misled into believing there are ways to cheat, but let me assure you, that spirit has been crushed,” Moyi said. “This year, we are even more vigilant. If you try to deceive yourselves, you will regret it.”
“Do not disappoint your teachers, parents, or the Ministry of Education,” he urged. “Give your best effort, and leave the rest to God.”
In his part, the Secretary General of the Examination Council, Simon Nyok gave an update on the exam paper distribution, highlighting the logistical challenges faced in getting the papers to exam centres.
“The distribution process, which started on November 26 and concluded on November 29, faced some logistical hurdles,” Nyok said.
“However, thanks to improved weather conditions in many parts of the country, we ensured the exams reached all centres on schedule,” he said.