400,000 Sudanese students miss high school exams due to conflict

January 10, 2025 (KHARTOUM) – Some 400,000 Sudanese students have been unable to sit for their high school exams due to the ongoing conflict, the Sudanese Teachers’ Committee said on Friday.

The exams, postponed from 2023, finished on Thursday in areas under army control, including eastern and northern Sudan and parts of several other states. However, students in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), mainly in Darfur, and those in conflict zones could not participate.

“A huge number of students, close to 400,000, have been deprived of sitting for the Sudanese certificate exams,” the committee said.

Only an estimated 150,000 to 180,000 students in 60 out of 190 localities were able to take the exams.

Around 580,000 students registered before the war, but only 30% to 40% were able to participate.

The exams were also hampered by logistical problems, including duplicate exam numbers and the presence of students from the 2024 cohort. The absentee rate exceeded 40%, the committee said.

It called for measures to ensure all students can take the 2024 exams, including a national coordination mechanism between education authorities.

It also urged the repeal of the “alien faces” law, which restricts movement, saying it worsens divisions between the Sudanese and negatively impacted the exams.

Exams successful in Khartoum

The Khartoum State Security Committee said the exams were successful in the capital, due to cooperation between the education ministry, security forces and government agencies.

Despite challenges, including the arrival of over 11,000 students from RSF-controlled areas who wished to take the exams, Khartoum authorities ensured the exams proceeded smoothly, it said.