War Deprives Thousands of Sudanese Students from Taking High School Exams

The Sudanese government, based in the temporary capital of Port Sudan, has announced plans to hold high school certificate exams on December 28, 2023, for the first time since the war broke out in mid-April. Over 343,000 students are set to take the exams in areas controlled by the Sudanese army (northern and eastern states) and Egypt, accounting for 67% of the total number of students.

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which control vast areas in Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum, Gezira, and other regions, have rejected the exams, describing the move as part of deliberate policies aimed at dividing the country and denying tens of thousands of students in conflict zones the opportunity to participate. Chad has also refused to host the exams on its soil, arguing that the students are refugees.

During a press conference in Port Sudan, Acting Minister of Education Ahmed Khalifa announced the completion of all arrangements for the exams. For the first time, exam times have been adjusted to 2:30 PM local time instead of 8:00 AM to accommodate students in Egypt, where over 27,000 candidates will take their exams in 25 centers. This is part of the 49,000 students sitting for the exams outside Sudan. The Egyptian government has stated it cannot conduct the exams in the morning.

Khalifa also mentioned that two emergency centers have been set up in Atbara and Al-Damer (northern Sudan), allowing students to arrive 24 hours before the exams begin. He assured that security arrangements were sufficient and added, “We have alternative plans in case of emergencies, but threats and concerns remain minimal.”

The exams will be held in 12 states where 120,724 displaced students from insecure regions have relocated. Khalifa dismissed accusations that holding exams under current conditions would deny students in conflict zones the opportunity to participate.

The minister emphasized, “We have not wronged students in Darfur or other regions… 35% of the examinees are displaced students.” He noted that the number of displaced students has doubled in states like Gedaref and River Nile. “We have managed to meet the needs of 67% of the students who registered for the exams before the war,” he added.

Khalifa also criticized Chad’s continued refusal to host the Sudanese high school exams, citing that students are refugees and should study the Chadian curriculum, thereby depriving 13,000 students of the opportunity. He expressed the ministry’s readiness to send the exams if Chad were to change its stance.

The Sudanese Minister of Education confirmed that security forces had completed all necessary measures to ensure the exams’ success. High-level security committees have been working efficiently to secure the process. Exam papers were printed within Sudan using advanced and modern technology in a record time of just 15 days.

According to the Sudanese Teachers’ Committee, an independent union, over 60% of eligible students will be unable to take the exams, particularly in Darfur, Greater Kordofan, parts of Khartoum, Gezira, and other insecure regions.

Statistics from UNICEF indicate that the ongoing war has prevented 12 million Sudanese students across various educational levels from continuing their studies.