The Ministry of Education and Science has administered the high school final examination to more than 11,000 students in 199 locations throughout Somaliland in one day. According to a statement from the Ministry posted on social media, Minister Ahmed Mohamed Diriye Egeh kicked off the countrywide exams from Lasanod in Sool region.
The Ministry has dispatched other high ranking officials from the Ministry including the Director-General Mr. Ahmed Abokor to other regions to kick off the countrywide exam activities.
The exam date was announced back in May where the ministry stated that due to COVID-19 only high school students will attend the final exam on a condensed one day schedule. Sources from the Ministry of Education who did not want to speak on the record confirm to Somaliland Chronicle that students will be complete exams for all 10 subjects in one sitting.
Prior to COVID-19 pandemic, high school exams were conducted over a day period of one week. It is unclear the compounding effect of distance learning and the condensed exam schedule will affect student’s performance for the 2019 – 2020.
8th-grade students have been exempted from the exam due to COVID-19 and the logistics involved in distancing students and the shortage that would cause in exam locations. According to the ministry, their grades will be based on their 7th-grade exam performance.
Minister Diriye who has appointed by President Bihi in December 2019 has made significant structural changes to his portfolio although he has recently reappointed his predecessor and others as advisors despite their removal for incompetency and allegation of widespread corruption.