Students in Sudan must be protected as they prepare to sit their exams
27 June 2025This week in Sudan over 200,000 children are due to sit national exams, known as the certificate exam, postponed from the previous year as a result of the ongoing conflict. It is expected that over 2,100 centres will host the exams in Sudan and also in Chad where refugees are residing. Plan International calls for children to be able to safely attend these exams, regardless of where they are situated.
The conflict in Sudan has led to the largest displacement crisis in the world and as families and unaccompanied children plan to travel to centres, they face great risk as attacks on civilians across the country continue.
Girls are at increased risk of gender-based violence when travelling as alarming rates of sexual violence have been recorded.
Many children will not have access to the exams at all, despite their efforts in studying under extremely challenging circumstances for more than 2 years of humanitarian crisis. This is solely determined by their area of current residence, which often is a consequence of forced displacement within or across national borders. Many children and their families have been displaced multiple times as the conflict moves across state borders.
“Throughout the past school year, we have witnessed the perseverance of teachers and students, often continuing their education in overcrowded settlements without access to basic supplies during school closure. Despite not having pens, paper and textbooks we have seen determined teachers volunteer in their communities to ensure that children do not miss out on learning as a result of this brutal conflict” says Mohamed Kamal, Country Director, Plan International Sudan.
Children face violence travelling to exams
“We have started to witness children, and their caregivers arrive for their exams in distress after long journeys where they have faced robbery and threats of violence. Children must be able to sit these exams in safety – it is already a stressful process to sit an exam but to face these risks just to get to them is making it even harder for children. Participating in national exams is an integral part of the right to education, and families should not be forced to choose between exposing their children to risks or certifying their education.
“We urge the Government of Sudan to increase the number of exam centres and the necessary exam materials throughout the country and abroad, where displaced Sudanese children have been forced to flee to. These exams play a critical role in the future of the next generation and safe access to the exam centres for all students is vital,” said Kamal.
Plan International Sudan welcomes the provision of accommodation centres for families and students who will travel long distances to sit for the exam and we urge the authorities to take all precautionary measures to ensure that accommodation and exam centres are safe spaces and do not pose a threat to children, including through being targets of attacks or spreading illnesses such as cholera among children.
The number of children in need of humanitarian assistance in Sudan has doubled and reached 15 million as the country enters its third year of conflict, meanwhile, the humanitarian funding for education is below 2%.
Plan International Sudan continues to advocate for and prioritise education in its programmes. Safe and protective education in emergencies plays a lifesaving and life-sustaining role. It also serves as an entry point for multi-sectoral delivery of humanitarian assistance, including psycho-social support for children.
Categories: Emergencies
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