The Ministry of General Education and Instruction has yielded to pressure and announced new examination dates for Primary 8 learners in SPLM-IO strongholds.

The announcement comes just a day after the minister in charge Awut Deng Acuil said the State had a plan B to examine the remaining learners.

The contingency plan—which will see papers transported and examinees examined in the next few days— was hatched by the ministry together with the South Sudan National Examinations Council.

‘‘The Ministry of General Education and Instruction and the National Examinations Council have decided to fix new dates [to conduct] the Primary Eight examinations for pupils who had missed out on the initial examination,’’ the minister said in a press statement released on Tuesday afternoon.

According to the plan, the transportation of the examination materials to the centres will begin on Friday, February 12, all through to Sunday February 14.

The administration of the examination will begin on Monday February 15, and end on Friday February 19.

The assurance puts to rest the anxiety that had been created by the recent stand by the ministry that it would not take examinations to such centres until security concerns are addressed.

On Wednesday, the minister said there was a plan to have the candidates examined against all odds.

‘‘…we did not have access to some areas to deliver the examinations but we also have plan B for these centres as soon as we resolve the access and the security of personnel and the examinations. These children are the children of South Sudan [and] they have the right to participate after working very hard in a very difficult time of this pandemic. They have the right to sit for the exams,’’ she told the press when she had visiting Rak Media printing press in Juba to inspect the books.