By Chuol Chanyong

Authorities in Fangak County in Jonglei State said they were deeply concerned by the decision of the national Ministry of Education to cancel the results of the Certificate of Primary Education examination for four of its schools.

In an exclusive interview with The City Review yesterday, James Makui Chamchar, Fangak County Education Director, dismissed the statement from the ministry that there were violations of examination regulations in the affected schools.  

“I was deeply shocked when I learned of this news. I received the information via social media yesterday and immediately contacted one of the invigilators assigned here during the exams. Everything had proceeded smoothly until the exams concluded,” Makui stated.  

On Tuesday, the National Examinations Council (NEC) said it has cancelled the results of 134 candidates from four primary schools in Fangak County, Jonglei State, due to what it described, “Serious breaches of examination rules.”  

However, Makui said, “No reports of issues in these schools were received during the exams, and nothing indicated irregularities at the time.”

“The two invigilators assigned to us—Manut and Riek Gatmai—submitted no complaints or reports of violations in any of the centers or schools in question by the examination council. We are unaware of the source of these allegations,” Makuie asserted.

Meanwhile, Matthew Paul, Director-General of Education at the State Ministry of Education, disagreed with Fangak administration, saying the exam boxes contained detection devices that always reveal any irregularity.

“If any irregularities occurred, the responsibility is with the National Examinations Secretariat, not the state authorities.”

Speaking at the 20th Extraordinary Meeting on Tuesday, NEC Secretary-General Simon Nyok Deng stated that the decision impacts pupils from four schools.

The schools are Kuernyang Primary (49 candidates), Bei Primary (40), St. Peter and Paul Primary (20), and Juaybor Primary (25).  

“The council has taken stringent disciplinary action by annulling these results. All four schools are in Fangak County, and their candidates were found to have egregiously violated exam rules and regulations,” Nyok said.