Five counties face exams disruption over floods in Jonglei

JUBA – Candidates in at least five counties in Jonglei State may not sit for the South Sudan Certificate of Secondary Education and Primary Certificate of Education this year due to severe flooding and worsening insecurity, authorities have warned.

John Ayuel Nhial, the Acting Director General in Jonglei’s Ministry of Education, said most of the affected counties have been submerged, forcing residents and students to flee to higher grounds where schools are either closed or destroyed.

“Flooding and insecurity are the main causes of the poor education system in rural Jonglei, where gunfire is often heard, and floods destroy classrooms,” Ayuel said in an interview.

“Those who can afford it take their children to urban areas. Those who cannot often marry off their daughters or see their boys become armed youth involved in crime,” he added.

He explained that Bor town, the state capital, is currently hosting most of the candidates who will sit for the Primary Eight and Senior Four examinations, as it remains the only area relatively safe from floods.

“Only Bor County, the state headquarters, will host most candidates sitting for the national examinations since most counties are affected by the flood and displaced to higher grounds,” Ayuel added.

Local education authorities, with support from humanitarian partners, have attempted to establish temporary learning centres in displacement camps and offer teacher incentives to keep some form of education going. However, Ayuel acknowledged that these efforts are far from sustainable.

“We need reliable funding and long-term planning. Otherwise, every time there’s a flood or conflict, we’re forced to start from zero,” he emphasised.

The displacement caused by both floods and conflict has become one of the most significant barriers to education in Jonglei.

Many families, especially in Pigi, Ayod, Twic East, Fangak, and Uror counties, fleeing their homes end up in camps or host communities where formal schooling is either limited or non-existent.

Even in areas where schools remain operational, students face long and often dangerous walks to reach classrooms. Parents, particularly of young girls, frequently keep their children at home out of fear for their safety.

Jonglei is among South Sudan’s most flood-prone regions, where recurring natural disasters have devastated infrastructure and eroded the fragile education system.

As of October, flooding has affected an estimated 639,225 people across 26 counties in six states, with Jonglei and Unity accounting for over 87 per cent of the caseload. Nearly 175,000 people are displaced, sheltering on higher ground in 16 counties, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.