North Darfur parents decry ‘five-fold increase’ in primary school examination fees

Parents of children in the sixth grade, who must pass their final examination to progress from primary to secondary school, decry an ‘unaffordable’ five-fold increase in examination fees imposed by the Department of Primary Education in North Darfur for 2023, especially against the backdrop of the current economic situation in which many families are already finding it difficult to make ends meet.

The Department of Primary Education in North Darfur has imposed a final examination fee of SDG 15,000 for each sixth-grade student. Parents who spoke to Radio Dabanga denounced the fees, which they described as high. They lament that the high fees have become an obstacle to their children continuing their studies, in light of the difficult economic conditions in which many families now find themselves.

The parents appeal to the education department to reconsider these fees, so that students do not fall behind in exams. They appealed to the Federal Minister of Education, the state governor, and the governor of the Darfur region, to intervene urgently to address this pressing problem. Callers note that the examination fees of for 2022 were in the range of SDG 3,000, and that a five-fold increase in one year is unfair, unreasonable, and will potentially further disadvantage many children from already marginalised families.