The Sudanese Teachers’ Committee has reported that a quarter of the candidates registered for the Sudanese Certificate exams failed to attend as the exams continued this week across multiple states and international centers.
Social media images revealed largely deserted exam halls, particularly in Ed Damer, the capital of Sudan’s River Nile state. At one center designed for 126 students, only four candidates were present. Another center, intended for 270 students, saw just 10 female candidates in attendance. Many of these centers were designated for displaced students from El Gezira state, who were unable to make the journey.
The Ministry of Education accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of obstructing students’ access to safer areas where they could take their exams. Other images circulating online showed students braving the White Nile’s hazardous waters by boat to travel from El Gutaina to Ed Duweim for the first day of exams.
In South Kordofan, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), led by Abdelaziz El Hilu, was accused of preventing students in Delling from sitting their exams. The Wali of South Kordofan declared that conducting exams in Delling was impossible due to the worsening security situation, and authorities confirmed that exams could not proceed in violence-affected neighborhoods.
The Ministry also criticized Chad for blocking 10,000 Sudanese students from taking their exams, maintaining its stance against hosting the Sudanese Certificate exams despite repeated appeals. A widely circulated photo showed a student traveling from Chad to Ed Damer to sit for the exams.
The Teachers’ Committee expressed frustration with the Ministry’s handling of the situation, noting that while 83% of students were registered, fewer than half appeared to be taking the exams. The committee blamed poor planning and timing for the low turnout, stating, “Those who insisted on holding this year’s exams under these conditions ensured their failure.”
Criticism was also directed at the government’s decision to cut internet services during exam hours, a move widely condemned as ineffective for addressing issues at external centers where many students are based.
The ongoing conflict in Sudan has severely disrupted education, with many students unable to participate in exams due to displacement, violence, and logistical challenges.