Awut Deng Acuil, the Minister of General Education and Instruction speaks to the press in Juba on 21st Jan. 2022. Photo: Charles Wote/Eye Radio.

Eastern Equatoria state government has welcomed the move by the National Ministry of General Education and Instruction to reverse its earlier decision on the number of examination centers.

In March, the national Examination Council said it will disband 24 centers in Eastern Equatoria state, leaving only three centers.

The decision, it argued, was made to protect the integrity of the exams and reduce cases of cheating.

But the state government rejected the designations, saying the move will deny thousands of candidates the chance to sit for their final exams.

The state parliament also cited the long distances to Torit, Nimule, and Kapoeta as the reason for its rejection.

It mentioned that candidates from remote areas would be exposed to untold security risks while traveling to the proposed locations.

In a statement to Eye Radio this morning, the state Minister of Education, Sammy Lopeyok said the national Ministry of General Education has resolved to maintain the original number of the examination centers.

“I have resolved the issue and the Minister responded to us positively. She [Awut] has already resolved, she [Awut] has already given an okay to go ahead with that, the preparation now is already on the ground for those candidates within the centers,” the state minister of education said.

“We are encouraging them to be ready because the time is closer, it is only after next week and then they will sit for examinations.

“We are advising them to be around the examination centers so that they can have their examinations at the right time and they finish.”

The exams are scheduled to begin on April 20 to April 27.