Students paraded at Supiri Secondary School before the 2022-2023 examination. March 20 2023. (Photo: Moyo Jacob).

The Secretary-General of the National Examinations Council said that punitive measures will be taken against anyone breaching examinations rules.

Answering queries from journalists in Juba on Monday, Simon Nyok said the Council has invested in innovations to ensure examination malpractices are curbed.

He expressed optimism of registering zero malpractices this year.

“We have devised so many means, we have invested in innovations to ensure that all kinds of exams malpractices are curbed and one of the things is that we have deployed in every examinations station across the nation, security officers right from Juba here,” he said.

“They are working together with the state security agencies to ensure that the playfield is leveled. So, all forms of exam malpractice are sealed off.”

More than 35,000 candidates are taking the certificate for secondary education examinations countrywide for the academic year 2022-2023, a figure higher than the previous years.

Nyok cautioned that punitive measures will be taken against anyone linked to examinations malpractice and may serve a jail term in accordance with the examination law.

“The punishment is severe, we have people in jail now, that were involved in some forms of malpractice last year, we arrested them, they are being arraigned in court.”

“You can serve up to four years in jail if you are found to have breached any of our rules whether you are a candidate, you are a teacher, or anybody, even a member of the security agency.”

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

Also last 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.