Resilience in Crisis: Sudan National Secondary School Exams Amidst Conflict
Education is a fundamental right. Education safeguards children, fosters peace, and benefits society. In Sudan, parents and children affected by armed conflict are demonstrating extraordinary resolve in trying to maintain access to education in the face of adversity.
The Sudan National Secondary School Exams, also known as the Sudanese Certificate Exams, are centrally supervised by the General Directorate for Evaluation and Examinations of the Federal Ministry of General Education. Traditionally conducted in March/April each academic year, these exams serve as a gateway to higher education or the labor market. The results of the examinations are validated by the Sudan Examination Board. However, the current conflicts have made it impossible for the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 cohorts to sit for the exams, resulting in their postponement until further notice.
Context of the Conflict
In April 2023, violent conflicts erupted in Khartoum between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), quickly spreading across the country. This led to unprecedented displacement, human loss, economic damage, and destruction of infrastructure. Sudanese people's lives were uprooted and turned into fear, sorrow, and nightmare. Households lost their means of income, elderly and sick persons were without medical care, medical professionals had no place to work, and children were without schools and learning. The education system at all levels has been severely disrupted, despite Sudan's endorsement of The Safe Schools Declaration, which seeks to ensure the continuity of safe education during armed conflict.
Displacement and Educational Disruption
The conflicts have displaced 11.5 million people, with 3.3 million crossing borders to neighboring countries. Notably, 52% of the displaced are of school-going age. Schools have been repurposed to shelter the displaced, including teachers and children experiencing psychological violence and trauma. As a result, education has been forcibly put on hold for almost two years. The education sector has no active strategic plan since the General Education Sector Strategic Plan 2018/19 - 2022/23 has become outdated in 2023, and the current conflicts don't allow for the development of new education plans. These challenges have made Sudan's education crisis the worst in the world, with UNICEF reporting that 19 million children are unable to access classrooms. The widespread destruction of educational infrastructure has left over 600,000 higher education students uncertain about their academic future, while universities are resorting to online delivery methods and establishing themselves in safe regions to continue offering education.
Efforts to Restore Education
Education authorities based in safer regions (Northern, River Nile, Kassala, Gedaref, White Nile and Red Sea) are exploring options to restore the education system. However, challenges such as securing teachers' pay, continuous influx of displaced persons, finding alternative and dignified living spaces (other than schools) for the displaced, climate-imposed changes, and the fear of conflict expansion hinder progress. Despite these obstacles, schools have reopened in safer parts of the country, but learning progression is limited to lower education cycles. Students cannot transit to tertiary education, as the conflicts have weakened the capacity of education authorities to organize the national secondary exams, marking a significant dead-end for the education system in the country.
Accessing Exams in Extreme Emergency
After two years of postponement, the Federal Ministry of Education announced that the first round of the deferred national secondary exams would take place on December 28, 2024, for the 2022/2023 cohort, in Northern, River Nile, Kassala, Red Sea, Gedaref, Khartoum, White Nile North Kordofan, Blue Nile, Gazirah and South Kordofan.
To encourage participation, local education authorities supported displaced children with transportation, accommodation, meals, waived exam fees, and exams registration was open for all children regardless of their geographical locations. A total of 343,644 children registered for the exams (in the country and abroad from refugees based in other countries), with 120,724 students from conflict-affected areas.
To prepare for the examinations, students relied on websites like Sudan exams.com to access online resources, especially since many lost their study materials while fleeing the conflicts. These websites offer a collection of PDFs of Sudanese Certificate Exams from previous years (2003–2022) along with model answers. Additionally, teachers volunteer to provide academic support, offering a 24/7 open phone line for students to consult on any subject.
The December 2024 exams were conducted in an extreme emergency context beyond imagination. One male student traveled 2,662 kilometers, all the way from Abéché in Chad to River Nile State in Sudan to access the exams. Others, caught in areas experiencing active conflicts, took significant risks to access the exams, some crossed the River Nile on makeshift boats. Other less fortunate students were unable to access the exams due to security reasons or lack of means to travel. In order to align with students taking the exam outside the country, the Ministry adjusted the exam timings to start at 2:30 PM and end at 5:00 PM. This timing added another layer of challenge for the students in the country since it is dark soon after 5:00 PM in Sudan, so travel home was more difficult and dangerous. The students' efforts in such circumstances symbolize courage and determination, proving that education in Sudan still withstands even in times of emergencies.
The second round of the exam was organized in March 2025 for the 2023/2024 cohort, to allow participation of children in hard-to-reach areas (North Darfur, West Darfur, Central Darfur, South Darfur, East Darfur, West Kordofan).
Enablers of Educational Continuity
The determination and cooperation of education stakeholders have been crucial in the successful management of the exams during this emergency. Once the education authorities announced the exam dates, communities initiated resource mobilization efforts using their established social mechanisms, such as “Nafeer,” a traditional volunteer fundraising practice. Through Nafeer, communities supported students from internally displaced populations (IDPs) with meals, transportation (from home to exam centers and back), and social protection. The willingness and determination of the students to sit for the exams under such challenging circumstances was another key factor, as children went to great lengths to access the exams. Another key factor in the success of the December 2024 exams was the adaptability of the education authorities to the context by prioritizing education while the conflicts are raging, including easing restrictions on exam registration, securing seats for IDPs children, providing second chances for less fortunate children who couldn't access the first round of the exam to catch with the second round organized in March 2025.
Seeds of Hope and Rebuilding
The successful management of Sudan’s national secondary exams reflects not only the resilience, adaptability, and determination of education stakeholders in Sudan, but also gives hope to millions of Sudanese children who are the future of the nation. After nearly two years of disruption, these exams mark the first steps in the gradual rebuilding of the education system. They alleviate the burden on the system by addressing the backlog of nearly three cohorts (2023, 2024, and 2025) awaiting exams. This initiative minimizes the risk of an increasing number of out-of-school children, ensuring that more students remain engaged in their educational pathways. Most importantly, these exams bring trust back to the education system and pave the way for its reconstruction.
Children in Sudan deserve peace and protection from grave violations such as killing, maiming, recruitment into armed forces, attacks on schools and hospitals, sexual violence, abduction, and denial of humanitarian aid. I join the global chorus in urging the warring parties to cease hostilities, adhere to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and refrain from politicizing or weaponizing education during conflicts.
Recalling the UN General Assembly Resolution 64/290, which underscores the necessity of upholding children's right to education during times of conflict and emergencies, I call upon the humanitarian and international community to ensure and support the realization of the right to education for the children of Sudan. EiE should be an integral element of humanitarian responses in Sudan to the maximum of the available humanitarian resources.
Conclusion
The conflicts in Sudan have inflicted severe harm on its people, especially women, the elderly, and children. Violent conflict is destroying not just school infrastructure, but also the hopes and ambitions of a whole generation of children. The education system has been disrupted, and many have been displaced, resulting in one of the world's most severe education crises. However, conducting the national secondary exam during such extreme emergencies is an inspiring step towards rebuilding the education system and restoring trust. The resilience of Sudanese students and educators is vital to the success of these exams. Education in emergencies brings hope and a sense of normalcy to those in despair, offering future generations the opportunity to reach their full potential. Sudanese children deserve peace. International community support for education in emergencies is vital for the children of Sudan to enjoy the right to education.
About the Author
Ibrahim Adam Idris is a Sudanese Educator and INEE Country Focal Point for Sudan, 2024-2026.He has a Master’s degree in education leadership from the School of Education of Kathmandu University in Nepal and a Bachelor’s degree in education from Kassala University in Sudan. Additionally, he has worked as a Primary School Teacher in the Eastern Sudan Region.