13/10/2023
Some problems and solutions for the Universities, General Education and Higher Education. ...................................................
A. University of Juba.
1. Use of codes during Examinations . Achieved. bravo!
2. After Examinations, allocate the big Halls to different Schools to start marking uniformly for one week with surpervision from Deans, VC, Academics Affairs, D/VC. Provide lunch and water during the marking period and cancel the marking fees given individually if there is no enough money. Exams scripts should NOT be taken home.
3. Common courses for First Year students should be marked by a group of Lecturers rather than that particular instructor. Example, Mathematics across all schools to be marked by all Lecturers in that department, the same way Secondary School National Examinations is marked. Shokol de deru gurush tegil.
4. Produce the results within one week after marking because the data is available. Delay in marking causes delay in producing results.
5. Within the same week of producing results, timetable for supplementary and substitute Examinations for that particular Semester should be equally out. Students should sit for Courses they failed before beginning the next semester. Many students failed Supplementary exams because of long period of time. This strategy is achievable.
6. Smart phones during Examinations should be the University top concern. This needs a powerful tone from the VC's office. These students come from secondary schools where "Machot" is a culture. System in School of Applied Science should be adopted across the University.
7. The Deans or Heads of Departments, Professors should act as Chief Invigilators during Examinations. These group is highly knowledgeable.
For example, someone from school of Engineering can be Chief Invigilator in School of Education. Invigilation should be a must to all Lecturers and the VC and his Deputies should put strict surpervision. Gurush ta invigilation ke le kun fi tawali after exams period.
8. Cancel the system where First Year and Senior classes operate in different calendars. This has caused alot of interruptions affecting the normal operation. They should start at the same time.
9. Reduce the 2 hours lecture period to 1 hour to create more spaces and more periods per a day. Some Universities in Europe and America are using 45 minutes let alone 1 hour.
10. Cancel completely the combination of schools to be taught in one class more especially First Year students. We have enough halls for each school only if proper arrangements is put in place.
11. Curriculum review is required. Some irrelevant courses should be removed. Schools like Business Management, Arts and Humanity, Education should be reduced to three years while 5 and 6 Years schools be reduced to 4 and 5 years respectively. We should move with the world. If needs be, students should start their career courses right from first year with exception of few courses.
12. System of displaying the results on board should end and introduced students portal. Prof Akec has already started this process. Bravo!
B. Uppernile University and Bhargzal Universities.
1. All the students in these Universities come from the same background. The steps outlined above to manage Examinations can also be applied in your campuses.
2. Uppernile University should stop competing with University of Juba in terms of admitting private students. You can't rent someone house and invite the entire village to take tea in your small room. It doesn't make sense.
I know private admission brings good money but is there a space to teach this number? You can even inform the Ministry of Higher Education to admit few students.
Wait until you return to Malakal, your beautiful base to start admitting as much as you want. University of Juba has two big compuses to accommodate their big number.
C. Catholic University
1. Kindly revise your grading system where "A" starts from 98-100 marks. Even Albert Eisenstein didn't reach these marks during his University days. Are you aware that "A" starts from 75-100 in Uppernile University and 80- 100 in University of Juba?......with 98-100, have you launched a rocket?
Regrettably, the same University with two Campuses( Juba and Wau) have two different grading system. Kede work on it. Very many brilliant students from CUoSS are getting Second Class degrees which is an equivalent to First Class in other Universities. Some employers consider Class before they hire you and your students are missing these opportunities. Don't stress up students for nothing. 98-100 should end and use conventional grading system.
2. Catholic Denomination are the richest all over the world. Please work on the fence. Students also need beautiful environment for slaying. Ask Jama Juba students.
C. Starford International University:
As the thriving private University, you deserve an applause. It is just a matter of time to lead South Sudan. Beating University of Juba during the Moot competition is a right step.
But again, lend me your ears. The first mistake done by the Ministry of Higher Education is to allowed the whole University to operate in a single shopping Mall. The space MUST be a requirement before granting a license to private Institutions .
Secondly, you opened the University and jumped to 5-grading system while all the Universities in the country are using 4-grading system. Could this be what my sweetheart once time called " nyin peel"?.
I love your beautiful new campus though.
D. Christian University ( Gudelle Campus)
This is the only University in the world where Nursery School, Primary School, Secondary School and University operate in the same building. Kede do something please.
Again, Christian University should continue awarding degrees in Theology and stop Engineering or other Science related courses. A child doesn't start eating with madong-posho and chapati. Having all disciplines in the University is a transition not a one day show.
E. Ministry of General Education.
I really don't know how you feel seeing students ( Primary and Secondary) filling the narrow space in the Ministry's complex when looking for their certificates....And why are you still keeping this "Sudanic" system?
2. Kindly produce all the certificates at once and send to States, the States will send to their respective schools and the learners will access from there. It is only a student who lost his certificate that will bounce back to the Ministry to proces his or her certificate again.
3. This issue of putting photo on the certificate is a very old passion. It is one of the things certificates take months to process. Drop it and consider the age. Go and ask UNEB how they produce certificates of 200,000 candidates in a single month.
4. The issue of Religion ( CRE and IRE) being compulsory subject before joining University needs a conversation again. We wrote articles about it but the Ministry is giving it deaf ear. We clearly said South Sudan is a secular state.
There is no need to impose two Religions on students sitting for their Secondary School Certificate. This particular issue will one day cause punching in that Ministry if no proper explanation is given. Let me first come to meet Undersecretary.
Sadiq el Mahadi, Hassen Al-Turabi and other Islamic Fundamentalists know the reason why this subject was introduced as compulsory in 1960's. Let's not act as if we are still part of Sudan.
F. Ministry of Higher Education
Kindly revise your admission criteria. What you have currently is an ancient booklet inside with Republic of South Sudan as the cover. This system of denying someone Degree course because he or she failed Religion or another subject should end. Revise courses across all the Universities , put guidelines for private Universities including grading system. Revive the dead Council of Higher Education (CoHE)
Yale Bye.
This information comes from
Hai Thoura Observatory Board for Academics Affairs.
The next will be on Slay Queens and Kings Affairs. We need reforms in this country.
®️ Ustaz Pesuech Arok Deng
