Sudanese Certificate Exams Amid War: A Ticking Time Bomb!
Mohamed Al-Sisi (Lawyer)
In the midst of the tragic circumstances gripping Sudan, the issue of conducting the Sudanese Certificate Exams for 2023 emerges as one of the major challenges facing the nation. The pressing question is: will these exams mark the last under a unified Sudan, or will they become the first step toward division?
Education is a fundamental right enshrined in international, regional, and national instruments. Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights asserts: “Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages, and elementary education shall be compulsory.”
Similarly, Article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966) emphasizes the necessity of providing education without discrimination.
Under international humanitarian law, there are obligations to protect civilians and educational institutions during armed conflicts. The Geneva Conventions and their Protocols outline the need to safeguard schools, teachers, and students from targeting and ensure the distinction between civilians and combatants in military operations.
Nationally, the 2005 Sudanese Constitution, in Article 13, guarantees the obligation and free provision of basic education. The 2019 Constitutional Charter reaffirms this right in Article 62, emphasizing that education is a right for every citizen without discrimination.
Despite these legal safeguards, Sudan’s current reality warns of an impending educational catastrophe due to the war, which has caused:
Destruction of Educational Institutions: More than 14,400 schools have been directly damaged.
Schools as Military Barracks: Educational facilities have been repurposed by warring parties.
Schools as Shelters: In safer areas, displaced individuals have taken refuge in schools.
Teacher Exodus: Over 350,000 teachers have been forced to abandon their profession due to salary interruptions.
Educational Disparities: While education continues in some regions, it has halted completely in others, leading to structural injustices.
Moreover, additional risks loom, including the targeting of schools by airstrikes or drones during the exams, and the "stranger law," which endangers students traveling between conflict zones.
Amid this complex situation, several options could mitigate the impact:
Postponing Exams: Waiting for improved security conditions to ensure student safety.
Boycotting Exams: As a form of protest against insisting on holding them in unsuitable circumstances.
Educational Truce: A temporary ceasefire agreed upon by warring factions to allow exams to take place safely.
International Oversight: Collaborating with organizations like UNICEF to ensure exam integrity and participant safety.
Education is undeniably a cornerstone for the progress of nations. However, turning it into a bargaining chip among warring factions threatens the future of generations. The death of a student during exams or the exclusion of another could lead to emotional rifts among the nations youth, further deepening conflicts rather than resolving them.
Conducting Sudanese Certificate Exams amid the current war is not merely an educational challenge but a test of national unity and the ability to overcome this crisis. Education is a right that cannot be compromised, and ensuring it for all students without discrimination must be a national priority above all disputes.
