E. Equatoria launches primary school exams

By Ijoo Bosco

November 18, 2013 (TORIT) – Primary school examinations for 2,977 pupils in Eastern Equatoria state were opened by the state governor Luis Lobong Lojore on Monday.

Lojore officially declared the examinations open by ringing the bell in Torit East Primary School to bless the candidates sitting their Primary Eight Final Examinations.

Torit East Primary School is hosting 240 candidates from four schools, including 30 adult candidates.

Eastern Equatoria state’s minister of education, Michael Lopuke Lotyam, said the examination papers were distributed successfully to 27 centres across the state despite the challenge caused by the poor state of roads after the rainy season.

The minister said he has a great hopes that the exams will be a success although he expressed concern that the number of girls enrolled at schools is not as high as it should be.

Governor Lojore urged the state ministry of education to double their efforts to improve schooling in Eastern Equatoria. He said he hoped that in the future students from neighbouring counties like Uganda and Kenya will be attracted to come and study in Eastern Equatoria.

Currently many students travel outside South Sudan for their education due to the poor system in the young nation where adult literacy stands at around 27%. Among women and girls over 15 years old this falls to around 16%.

The governor and education minister were joined by Torit county commissioner German Charles Ojok and other government officials.

(ST)