Parliament Steps In
Juba’s restless corridors hummed this week as MP Felix Bali tabled a motion demanding answers for the eight-month silence on Senior Four exam results.
The Transitional National Legislative Assembly expects Dr. Kuyok Abol Kuyok to detail why 48,484 candidates still await their academic fate.
Financial Hurdles at the Core
The minister previously told broadcasters that only 28 percent of marking funds had reached his docket, hinting at a treasury bottleneck many insiders confirm.
“Education cannot queue behind politics,” argued Bali, urging simultaneous summons for Finance Minister Dr. Bak Barnaba Chol to clarify payment schedules.
Student Futures on Hold
Parents in Wau, Malakal and Yei report mounting anxiety as graduates miss university application windows and vocational grants tied to timely transcripts.
Teacher Emilia Lado warns that prolonged idleness fuels dropout risks: “Some girls consider marriage; boys eye neighbouring labour markets instead of classrooms,” she observed.
Credibility of Exams at Stake
Education experts caution that irregular release dates tarnish the perception of the still-young national examination board, established shortly after independence in 2011.
Regional universities rely on fixed calendars; uncertainty could see quotas for South Sudanese students shrink, a Juba University administrator acknowledged on condition of anonymity.
Looking Ahead
Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba directed the Education Committee to report within two weeks, a timeline observers view as a litmus test for parliamentary oversight.
Should funds be secured, officials say scripts could be marked within three weeks, restoring February as the traditional result month and easing mounting public pressure.