Sarah Khalaf Allah, a third-year high school student in a war-torn area east of Khartoum, eagerly anticipates the upcoming high school exams, but uncertainties persist about her ability to participate as the region is under the control of the Rapid Support Forces.
Despite the challenging environment, Sarah persists in attending Khalid bin Al-Walid School in the Al-Kuwait suburb east of Khartoum, a school sustained by community efforts and volunteer teachers for over a year. She returns to her family home in the evening and reviews her lessons with the flashlight of her mobile due to near-constant power outages. She is determined to endure these challenges to pursue her education and progress to higher levels.
But the dreams of Sarah Khalaf and thousands of students in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) may be shattered. Sudan's de facto ministry of education insists the country's secondary school certificate exams will take place in December in areas under army control, which are located in the east, north, and centre of the country.
The Commissioner for the Ministry of Education, Ahmed Khalifa, announced in a press statement at the end of last September that his ministry had approved 28 December as the date for the start of the postponed secondary school certificate exams for the 2023 batch.
Unfair procedure
The Sudanese Ministry of Education has not addressed the situation of students in RSF-controlled areas regarding exam arrangements. Al-Sadiq Muhammad is based in restive West Kordofan State and has a son who would like to attend the secondary school exams. Muhammad said they must find a way to safely transport his son early to participate in the exams in the army-controlled areas, nullifying any chances of the exams taking place in the RSF-controlled areas. He views the situation as unjust for his son and other students in the area, as financial constraints prevent them from relocating to safer areas.
According to a Radio Dabanga interview with Sudanese Teachers' Committee lead member, Duriya Babiker, the recent decision to hold the exams in SAF-controlled areas is "politically driven" rather than educationally sound. "This move ignores students trapped in unsafe regions, denying them equal educational rights," Babkiker said. "Scheduling exams now disregards the movement restrictions and security risks that make travel dangerous, let alone the difficulty of securing exams."
The war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces in mid-April last year led to the disruption of the secondary school certificate exams, affecting over 500,000 students scheduled to take the exams. The educational process was also halted throughout Sudan before studies resumed months later in the states under the control of the army.
The authorities in the states under the control of the army evacuated thousands of displaced people from the schools they were using as shelters, with the aim of resuming studies in the primary and secondary stages and then preparing for the Sudanese Certificate exams.
Education under bullets
Despite the adversities of war, Sarah Khalaf and her peers persevered in their studies amidst the sounds of gunfire, artillery, and aircraft at Khalid bin Al-Walid School. The school was established through community initiatives and the dedication of volunteer teachers.
"At the beginning of the war, we were living in emptiness, fear, and anxiety," Khalaf told Ayin. "But after a few months, this school was opened near our house. It was an opportunity to continue my education. I go to school and return home in the evening to begin the journey of searching for water to drink. At night, I study my lessons with the light of my mobile phone. Communications and electricity are cut off, and yet I don't know my fate. Will I be able to sit for the certificate exam or not?"
Some schools in the suburbs of Al Kuwait, Taif, and Burri, which are under the control of the RSF, were reopened through popular efforts and the initiative of emergency room volunteers.
Ismail Ahmed, the administrative director of Khalid Bin Al-Walid School, shared that the school accommodates around 450 students and operates independently. For the past year, 45 teachers have volunteered without compensation. Despite facing numerous challenges, including uncertainty about the fate of the students taking the secondary school certificate exams, they persist in providing education.
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Ahmed emphasised the necessity of implementing clear measures to allow students in RSF-controlled areas to participate in the secondary school certificate exams. He highlighted that exam participation is a fundamental right for all students and should not be subject to uncertainties, emphasising the role of national and international educational organisations in ensuring equal opportunities. "The warring parties should not involve the educational process in political issues," Ahmed told Ayin. "Education should be available for all without discrimination."
The United Nation's Children's Fund (UNICEF) says that around 19 million children are out of school. The Sudanese Teachers' Committee says that over 10,000 schools now serve as shelters for the displaced or military barracks.
