National Examinations Council sees a record-high 26.88% increase in secondary education exam registrations

44,991 candidates registered for the South Sudan Certificate of Secondary Education (SSCSE) exams in 2023, with 28,298 males and 16,685 females. Last year, 35,459 candidates registered, 22,920 males and 12,539 females.

Writer: Emmanuel Bida Thomas

South Sudan’s Ministry of General Education and Instruction announced on 18th October 2023 the schedule for the 2023 Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE) Examinations, which will take place from 4th December to 14th December 2023.

The National Examinations Council administers the examination.

According to Martin Tako Moyi, Acting Minister of General Education and Instruction, 44,991 candidates have registered for the 2023 academic year exams. There are 16,685 females and 28,298 males among them.

However, compared to the previous year, when 35,459 candidates enrolled for the South Sudan Certificate of Secondary Education examination (SSCSE), including 22,920 males and 12,539 females, this year’s total number of candidates registered represents a 26.88% increase, the highest since the establishment of the National Examination Council.

Male candidates increased by 5,378 from 22,920 in the 2022 exams, and female candidates also increased by 4,146 from 12,539 the previous year.

Year	Males	Females	Total
2020/21	22,724	11,638	34,362
2021/22	21,799	10,368	32,167
2022/23	22,920	12,539	35,459
2023/24	28,298	16,685	44,991

Table showing the number of CSE candidates for the last three years

Martin Tako Moyi, Acting Minister of General Education and Instruction, attributes the rise in the number of candidates this academic year to the establishment of one hundred (100) new secondary schools across the country. He also said that many refugee students registered for the examinations.

“The number of schools increased by 100 (10%) compared to 400 schools registered in 2022 CSE examinations. The Refugee candidates also increased by 119 candidates (13.95%),” he said.

Table showing the number of Candidates and Examination Centers by State and Administrative Areas

S/No	State/Area	Number of Candidates	Number of Examination Centers
	Abyei Administrative Area	504	5
	Jonglei State	1,798	24
	Lakes State	2,314	17
	Unity State	1,178	24
	Pibor Administrative Area	87	2
	Eastern Equatoria State	2,747	39
	Ruweng Administrative Area	1,843	20
	Western Equatoria State	1,691	39
	Central Equatoria State	17,226	176
	Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal State	2,759	37
	Western Bahr-el-Ghazal State	4,001	33
	Warrap State	2,381	31
	Upper Nile State	2,622	35
	IDP Juba	3,603	17
	Egypt	237	01

Key Findings:

• The data from the table shows a steady increase in candidates over the past three years, with a significant jump in the 2023/24 academic year.
• The number of male candidates has consistently been higher than that of female candidates.

Conclusion:

This increase in the number of candidates is a positive development for education in South Sudan. However, there is still a need to improve literacy rates in the country. The government should prioritise investing in education, including building more schools, hiring more teachers, and providing more resources to government-aided schools, especially supporting girls’ education. There should be more awareness campaigns to encourage parents to send their children, especially girls, to school. The government should work to address the ongoing conflict in the country, which has disrupted education and made it difficult for students to attend school in some fragile areas.

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