By Tapeng Michael Ohure
Over 53,000 candidates began their primary leaving examinations across South Sudan on Monday.
The examination was launched by the Vice President for Service Clusters, Hussein Abdelbaggi Akol with a bell ringing ceremony at Mayo Girls Primary School in Juba and witnessed by the Minister of General Education, Awut Deng Achuil, among other dignitaries.
“It is an important day for you and for us because you are going to mark the end of primary level, and in the next few months you are going to join senior secondary schools,” VP Akol told the candidates.
“I want you to concentrate such that you can achieve good results of 8 years. Secondly, don’t worry about these examinations because the same books they used for teaching you are the same books examinations are set from,” he said.
“I wish you well in the examinations and next year, I want to see you in secondary school.”
The Minister of General Education, Awut Deng Achuil, advised the candidates against panicking during exams.
“I want to wish you well that this is your time now to put in paper what you have learnt for the last 8 years,” Achuil said.
“Remember every single thing that you have been taught by our teachers and remember that panic is not a good start. So, be firm, be strong and be confident and get in your exams.”
Simon Nyok Deng, South Sudan’s Secretary General for National Examinations Council said there is no single examinations centre that missed out across the country.
“We have 1,565 centers across the country with 180 exams stations where exams are being kept, and we are thankful to our security apparatus that the exams are in safe and secure hands, and we have reached all the locations,” Deng told reporters after the launch.
“We had some challenges in getting exams to some places, but our development partners and government institutions have helped us to reach there.”
Ayuen Kon Dut, a female pupil from Mayo Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) in Juba expressed her readiness to sit for the examinations.
“I am a hundred percent ready for my examinations. I prepared for English, I also prepared myself for all the subjects because I know I was going to sit for these papers and so I have to prepare myself for all of these subjects and I am ready,” Dut said.
Also, at the same school, Vicky Angelo Joseph, 28, and who dropped out of school 12 years ago said she is more than ready to sit for the exams and go to senior one.
“I read very well during the revision time with the help of my teachers. Now, I am ready to do exams for all the subjects and I feel proud to sit for it and I am confident that I and my friends, colleagues will succeed and reach senior one,” the mother of four said.
Tabitha James Johnson, also a candidate from Mayo Girls Primary School said she wants to score 90 percent and above in the examinations.
“I’m ready for the examinations though I feel somehow nervous, and I want to get 90 percent and above to make my teachers proud of me and I promised my parents that I would be among the best students in South Sudan,” she said.
