Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi speaking at the opening ceremony of National Secondary school Examination. March 20, 2023. | Abdelbagi/Facebook.

Service Cluster Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi warned of tough punitive measures against individuals who might aid cheating in the ongoing Primary 8 examination across the country. 

A total of 69,573 candidates including 38,575 males and 30,998 females from about 1,665 schools are sitting at 551 examination centers across the country.

The exams begun Monday morning with Christian Religion Education (CRE) and will proceed until Friday with the remaining subjects: English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies.

Addressing the pupils at Buluk Model Primary School in Juba, Vice President Abdelbagi ordered serious measures including cancelation of exams and prosecution of any person caught aiding exams cheating.

“I hereby direct taking serious measures including cancelation of exams and prosecution of any custodian caught aiding and abetting cheating during the examination,” Abdelbagi said before ringing the bell to signal the start of exams.

The vice president did not go into detail on what consequences will befall exams cheaters.

However, the Secretary-General of the National Examinations Council said in March 2023 that punitive measures including a four-year jail term will be handed to anyone breaching examinations rules.

 For his part, Martin Tako, the Acting Minister of General Education and Instructions echoed the anti-cheating measures.

Mr. Tako appealed to invigilators, security personnel and the examination staff not to temper with the exams.

“Any malpractices and you be very careful to hear what I am saying anything you try to steal; you try to copy will be nullified,” he said.

“The consequences will be not only to you but to your family who prepared you, your teachers who prepared you for eight years to come and sit.”

“I also appeal to all the invigilators, the security personnel, the staff they should not temper with anything don’t temper to help the student you will be destroying this country.”

Allegations of examination malpractices in South Sudan have spiraled in the media in recent years – prompting condemnation from some education officials and the head of state.

In August 2022, President Salva Kiir criticized the reports of annual examination cheating across the country, saying the practice is unethical.

Also that year, National Security said it arrested seven teachers for allegedly leaking primary school papers via WhatsApp.

In 2021, Michael Lopuke, a former undersecretary in the national ministry of education criticized the sector over alleged malpractices in the annual examination conducts and expressed fears on the future of the sector after most of the 2020 high school-leaving examination candidates questionably passed.

But Lopuke later apologized to the government institution for his comment on the exam results.

– End of an era –

Meanwhile, some of the candidates who spoke to Eye Radio were excited to sit for the exams adding that they were well prepared for the papers.

Among them is Achai Aleu, who expressed joy reaching the beginning of the end of her primary school journey.

“We have spent eight years in primary, so we are leaving to the other level, so we are happy for that,” she said.

“I just want to tell my fellow candidates that to take courage and then the others who will follow us next year so I advise them to continue studying so that they can reach primary eight especially our sisters.”

“My name is Aluat, I am happy to sit for this examination and thank you.”

“Achan Macek so we are very happy to sit in today’s examination 2023 and we are confident to pass this examination.”