CES Education Minister| By Madrama James

Central Equatoria State’s Minister of Education  has vowed to overhaul examination supervision and invigilation procedures, alleging that some cases of cheating during the recently concluded national examinations were coordinated by security personnel and other officials deployed at examination centers.

Speaking to the media after meeting representatives of private schools on Wednesday, Lupai Satimon Andrew said the ministry would train invigilators and supervisors before future examinations to ensure they understand their roles and operate within their mandates.

“We have received reports indicating that some instances of cheating are well coordinated within schools and involve security personnel or other individuals present. We are going to get rid of this because we know the right formula,” he said.

The minister also criticized the presence of military personnel in examination rooms, arguing that it intimidates students and can affect their performance.

“If I still remain the Minister of Education in Central Equatoria State, I want to promise you that the next exams will be different,” he said.

Satimon urged students to rely on their own abilities rather than examination malpractice, locally known as Machot, saying genuine academic achievement is more valuable than high grades obtained through cheating.

Earlier this month, the National Examinations Council annulled the 2025 Certificate of Secondary Education results of all 87 candidates from Nimule Model Secondary School in Eastern Equatoria State over what it described as serious examination malpractice.

The council also awarded zero scores to 23 candidates from other examination centres for involvement in similar irregularities.