Schools transfer exams from Jebel Marra

Authorities in Central and South Darfur have decided to relocate school examinations from areas in Jebel Marra to Mershing and Kass in South Darfur.

El Hadi Abdelrahman, the director-general of the Ministry of Education in South Darfur, told reporters on Monday that the deteriorated security conditions that have caused the displacement of tens of thousands of people from Jebel Marra, resulted in the Ministry’s decision to relocate. Exam papers are to be transferred to Kass and Mershing localities in South Darfur, close to East Jebel Marra.

The pupils of the schools there have to travel to the new locations, which the Ministry expects to be safer than holding examinations in East Jebel Marra. They started officially on Saturday.

Abdelrahman said that they fear that the ongoing insecurity in Jebel Marra since the fighting between government and rebel forces, and the Sudanese Air Force, started in January, will affect the school activities. “It is impossible to hold examinations here.”

The North Darfur Ministry of Education and Guidance announced the start of the basic school examinations in all the state’s localities on Saturday, 34,288 children are expected to take part this year. Students from Jebel Marra who fled to North Darfur camps for the displaced are allowed to take part in the exams in emergency examination centres.

The Minister of Education in West Darfur said earlier this week that there are 11,893 registered basic school students who will be sitting for exams, also starting Saturday.

Pupils attacked

An aerial bombardment near Golo in west Jebel Marra on Thursday resulted in the injury of two basic school pupils who were on their way to Nierteti to sit for school exams. Militiamen in Golo robbed a number of schoolboys on their way to sit for exams of their belongings last week.

Tens of thousands of people who have fled their villages remain trapped in Jebel Marra’s mountain top and caves. A listener in west Jebel Marra explained that students are unable to leave the shelter to sit for their final exams, because government-backed militiamen have closed the roads.