South Sudan to begin marking primary school exams after funding delay

JUBA – South Sudan will begin marking primary school leaving exam papers on Wednesday, following a funding delay, according to the National Examination Council.

The council received 2 billion South Sudanese pounds from the Ministry of Finance, part of a 7-billion-pound allocation for marking both primary and secondary school exams, Simon Nyok Deng, Secretary-General of the National Examination Council, told reporters on Tuesday.

Nearly 69,573 students took the Primary Eight exams in November 2024 at 551 centers across the country. Deng acknowledged the delays, which he attributed to a lack of funds.

“The Secretary of Examination just today has received some funding from the National Ministry of Finance to begin the marking of the 2024 Certificate of Primary Education exam and that means, as of tomorrow, the Secretariat and all the selected teachers will begin to engage in the processing of the examination results,” Deng said.

He said results will be released as soon as marking is completed.

“We will continue to engage our colleagues in the Ministry of Finance to avail the needed resources to clear bills for the field administration of exams, the cost of printing, and transportation,” he added.

Deng noted that students should have started secondary school on February 3, 2025, but the delayed exam marking has prevented them from enrolling.

He appealed for patience from students and parents.

“I therefore take this opportunity to appeal to candidates, their parents, and all stakeholders to bear with us as we engage the teachers in the processing of the examination results,” he said.