The cabinet\u2019s endorsement of an adjustment to the national education calendar to allow candidates sitting for the national primary and secondary school examinations to complete them in November, ahead of the December 2026 general elections, deserves careful consideration and public support.<\/p>\n
For thousands of South Sudanese learners, national examinations are among the most important moments in their education. Primary and secondary school candidates have spent years preparing for these examinations, and any disruption could seriously affect their academic progress and future opportunities.<\/p>\n
With the country preparing for the December elections, it is understandable that the government wants to ensure that the education sector is not unnecessarily disrupted by election-related activities.<\/p>\n
Schools may be required to serve as polling centres, teachers may participate in election duties, and movements of people and security arrangements could affect normal academic activities.<\/p>\n
Completing examinations in November could therefore provide learners with an opportunity to finish an important stage of their education before the country enters a potentially demanding electoral period.<\/p>\n
However, the adjustment of the calendar must be implemented carefully. The government and education authorities should ensure that candidates are given adequate time to prepare.<\/p>\n
Schools should not be pressured to rush through the syllabus simply to meet a political or administrative deadline. Quality education must remain the priority.<\/p>\n
Teachers and school administrators should receive clear guidance well in advance so that they can organise lessons, revision programs, and examinations properly. Candidates and parents also need timely information about examination dates and any changes to the academic calendar.<\/p>\n
The decision should also take into account schools in areas affected by insecurity, displacement, flooding, drought, and other challenges. A national calendar adjustment should not leave behind learners who already face difficulties accessing education.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of General Education and Instruction should work with state authorities, teachers, and education partners to ensure that every candidate has a fair opportunity to sit for the examinations.<\/p>\n
Most importantly, the education calendar should not be manipulated for political convenience. Elections are important to the country\u2019s democratic future, but education is equally important to the future generation. The two should be managed in a way that protects both processes.<\/p>\n
South Sudan needs educated young people who can contribute to peace, development, and nation-building. Every examination candidate deserves a fair chance to complete their studies without unnecessary interruption.<\/p>\n
As the country moves toward the December elections, authorities should therefore ensure that the revised calendar is implemented transparently, responsibly, and in the best interests of learners.<\/p>\n
The election may determine the country\u2019s political direction, but education determines the quality of the generation that will inherit and lead the nation.<\/p>\n
God protect South Sudan.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Be the spectator!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The cabinet\u2019s endorsement of an adjustment to the national education calendar to allow candidates sitting for the national primary and secondary school examinations to complete them in November, ahead of the December 2026 general elections, deserves careful consideration and public support. For thousands of South Sudanese learners, national examinations are[Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":45757,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[89,90,81,122,80,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-columnists","category-commentary","category-education","category-nation-talk","category-national","category-politics"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/NATION-TALKS-LOGO-2.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47868","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47868"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47868\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47870,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47868\/revisions\/47870"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45757"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}