[OPINION] – Delayed Release of 2024 Senior Four Results Threatens National Development

The prolonged delay in releasing the 2024 Senior Four (S.4) examination results has had a deeply negative impact on the future of many young South Sudanese. At a time when these students should be enrolling in universities, technical institutes or vocational training centres, they are left in limbo wasting valuable time and losing hope.

Education is a fundamental right and a key pillar of national development. When exam results are delayed for months beyond the expected period, it not only disrupts the academic calendar but also destroys the motivation of many young people eager to shape their future. These delays trigger a chain reaction. Admissions into higher institutions are postponed, scholarships are missed and families are burdened with uncertainty.

As a result, many students, particularly young girls, are being forced into early and unwanted marriages, ending their dreams of continuing their education. Meanwhile, young boys, idle and without clear direction, are being lured into peer pressure, drug abuse and crime, further endangering their future and the peace of our communities.

We strongly urge the Ministry of General Education and all relevant authorities to take urgent and transparent steps to release the results and to establish reliable systems to prevent such delays from happening again. Our country cannot afford to keep its youth waiting. These young people are the future doctors, engineers, teachers and leaders of South Sudan.

We must prioritise education and act swiftly to ensure no child’s future is compromised by administrative or logistical failings. This is not just a concern. It is our right as citizens of South Sudan.

The youth are the backbone of this nation. Denying them timely access to education is denying South Sudan a peaceful, educated and prosperous future.

— Taban Andrew, a concerned citizen

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