By Samuel Yuang

 Zakaria Matur Makuer, a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Education, has commended the Ministry of General Education for their efforts in releasing this year’s examination results earlier than last year, while calling for urgent measures to improve the performance of public schools and regulate private education institutions.

Addressing Education Minister Dr. Kuyok Abol Kuyok during the official announcement of the 2025 South Sudan Certificate of Secondary Education Examination results on Tuesday, Makuer expressed satisfaction that results were out in June, compared to July last year. He noted that the progress demonstrated the ministry’s commitment to efficiency.

“We want to thank you for your hard work and all the staff of the Ministry of General Education, especially the Secretariat of Education. We are very happy that this year’s results are coming out earlier — last year it was July, this year it is almost May or June,” he said.

Makuer added that Parliament’s expectation is for results to be released even earlier in future, ideally by the first week of February, before the start of the new academic year.

“That is our expectation. We want results out before schools begin, so that everything moves smoothly. We appreciate the effort you have made so far,” he stated.

However, the lawmaker raised concern over the persistent gap in performance between public and private schools, noting that private institutions continue to dominate the top positions while government-funded schools record low pass rates.

“The performance of our public schools is very low, and that is not encouraging to us in Parliament, because we allocate funds and resources specifically for public schools,” he said. “We understand that these are all our children, whether in public or private schools, but we want public schools to step up and compete favourably. Something must be done collectively to change this trend.”

Makuer emphasized that since public schools receive government funding, they are expected to deliver quality education and better outcomes. He challenged the ministry to ensure that next year’s results reflect marked improvement from government institutions.

On private education, the MP called for stronger regulation and monitoring, pointing out that many schools are being opened without proper planning or standards. He cited cases where new schools are launched abruptly, charging high fees only to close down mid-year, leaving students stranded.

“Private education is not bad — it helps and boosts our system — but we need to regulate it. We see schools opening today and immediately claiming to offer secondary education. They charge high fees, then close down in the middle of the year. This must stop,” he said.

Makuer urged the ministry and relevant education authorities to enforce standards, inspect facilities, and ensure that all private schools operate legally and provide quality instruction.

“We must check what kind of education is being offered. We want a system where every child, whether in public or private school, gets quality learning,” he added.

He concluded by expressing hope that the ongoing reforms and measures being put in place would lead to better results, improved quality, and greater satisfaction for both the public and lawmakers.