On March 13, Sudan’s Ministry of Education issued an official directive outlining eligibility criteria for sitting the primary and intermediate certificate examinations. According to the circular, the minimum age for candidates sitting the Primary Certificate exam has been set at 11 years. Applicants are required to submit a national identification number, birth certificate, or an official age assessment document as part of the registration process. The directive applies across all Sudanese states as well as examination centres abroad.
For the Intermediate Certificate examination, the ministry has established a minimum age of 14 years. Candidates must also have successfully obtained the 2023 Primary Certificate, in addition to submitting official identification documents and certified endorsements from the relevant authorities.
Parents blame war-driven disruptions that have stalled progress and intensified pressure to fast-track students.
Teachers interviewed by Atar suggest that certain practices within schools have contributed to the growing phenomenon of grade-skipping. This view is echoed by parents who argue that disruptions to the academic calendar following the war have delayed students’ progress, thereby intensifying the desire to enroll their children in more advanced grade levels.
What do teachers say?
In remarks to Atar, an education expert working within the Federal Ministry, who requested anonymity, emphasized that the decision is not new, as many believe, but rather a reiteration of long-standing ministerial policies.
Its timing, he explained, is linked to recent disruptions in Sudan’s education system, including the widespread promotion of students without examinations and the practice of bypassing grade levels in many schools.
Regarding the 2023 ministerial decision to cancel all transitional examinations at both the primary and intermediate levels, the expert noted that the ministry retains comprehensive student records and is capable of regularizing academic standings by issuing certified attestations from the schools students previously attended.
He further pointed out that the decision is closely tied to coordination with state-level education authorities.
Prior to the war, students often sat examinations according to Khartoum State’s academic calendar, a system that became unworkable during the conflict. Subsequent coordination with River Nile State enabled administrative continuity, particularly in ad-Damar. This year, however, with River Nile State advancing its academic schedule, federal authorities have shifted coordination to Al-Jazirah State, extending the directive to Sudanese embassies and consulates abroad.
During a visit to Kassala State’s Ministry of Education, Atar met with a senior official who stated that they had only encountered the decision online and had yet to receive an official copy. The official noted that such directives are normally circulated through the state government secretariat, adding that implementation would begin once formal notification is received. He urged parents to regularize their children’s academic status.
Similarly, a headmaster of an intermediate school in Al-Gash West, who also requested for anonymity, said he learned of the decision through social media and informal channels. He expressed uncertainty about its enforcement, particularly as registration for the intermediate examination, scheduled for late March, remains ongoing.
While voicing concern over the abruptness of the decision, the headmaster also acknowledged existing irregularities, including attempts to accelerate students’ progression through grade-skipping, which may ultimately undermine academic attainment and complicate the educational process.
It is worth noting that the ministry itself has undergone several name changes in recent years. Known as the Ministry of Education until 2019, it was later rebranded as the Ministry of Education and Guidance, and most recently, in 2025, as the Ministry of Education and National Instruction, without an official explanation for these shifts.
Compounding the ambiguity, the ministry lacks a verified presence on social media platforms, raising doubts about the authenticity of circulating decisions. Numerous unofficial Facebook pages bearing similar names attract tens of thousands of followers, further blurring the lines between official and unverified information.
This is not the only controversial decision in recent years. In August 2023, the acting Minister of Education issued a decree canceling primary certificate examinations and all transitional exams in war-affected states, citing exceptional circumstances. However, many students were left without formal certification, documents that have now become essential requirements for examination registration in 2026.
In a separate development, Khartoum State’s Department of Private Education mandated the segregation of boys and girls in all private schools, granting institutions a 20-day compliance period, after which non-compliant schools risk losing their licenses under the Private Education Regulation Act.
What do parents say?
War and displacement pushed me to consider skipping stages, just to make up for lost learning and protect my children’s future.
Abdelrahman Al-Amin, displaced father in Kassala
Abdelrahman Al-Amin, a displaced father of four residing in Kassala State, told Atar that war and displacement compelled him to consider bypassing certain educational stages to minimize what he described as “learning loss” and to safeguard his children’s future.
He explained that he had hoped to enroll his son, currently in the fifth grade, directly for the primary certificate exam to compensate for interruptions caused by repeated displacement. He added that their potential return to their home state may coincide with the end of the academic year, potentially forcing his son to wait an extended period before advancing.
Lubna, a mother of four living in Kassala’s Al-Ummal neighbourhood, said the age restriction has adversely affected her daughter, who was preparing to sit the intermediate examination this year but falls below the required age, having been born in 2012. Despite achieving 260 marks in a mock exam, out of the 280 overall score, and demonstrating strong enthusiasm, the decision has left her deeply discouraged.
Afaf, another parent, noted that she had attempted to register her daughter for the exam this year in order to save the family the cost of an additional academic year. She argued that even in the event of failure, her daughter would benefit from early exposure to the exam format.
The new regulations have, however, rendered such efforts futile.
Schools seeking distinction: Another factor
Saif El-Din Mahmoud, a teacher at a private school in Kassala, says school administrations often prioritize high-performing students at the start of the academic year, as their success enhances institutional reputation. When candidate cohorts appear weak, some schools resort to reinforcing exam classes with younger but more capable students or accelerating their advancement by skipping grades, practices aimed at boosting overall success rates.
Hassan Mohamed, a teacher in a school west of the Al-Gash River, said the decision has unsettled many families, particularly those who have postponed returning to Khartoum due to their children’s examinations. He emphasized that objections are less about the substance of the policy than about its timing.
In contrast, Faki Awad Hajjaj, the Director of Primary Education in Rural Kassala, argued that such measures are essential for regulating the education system and safeguarding its integrity. He affirmed that local authorities have approached the directive with professionalism, ensuring that parents receive the necessary information and support for registration procedures.
An educational perspective
Skipping grades may seem practical, but it often creates deep knowledge gaps that affect students in later stages.
Al-Nujoumi Abdelrahman, education expert
Education expert Al-Nujoumi Abdelrahman told Atar that age thresholds are grounded in pedagogical research and the cumulative expertise of Sudanese specialists. He noted that Sudan’s education system has undergone multiple reforms, ranging from curriculum structure to instructional hours, since the establishment of the Bakht Al-Rida Institute in 1934 under Mr. Griffiths.
“These benchmarks reflect state policy shaped by in-depth studies of the learning environment and students’ cognitive development,” he said, adding that education systems vary across countries, according to their unique contexts.
He also highlighted recent developments, including the reinstatement of the traditional three-tier system (primary, intermediate, secondary), as endorsed at the Sudan 2012 National Education Conference.
Abdelrahman also warned against the growing trend of promoting students beyond their age-appropriate grade levels, noting that reduced instructional exposure can negatively impact academic performance in later stages. Given the cumulative nature of curricula, he stressed, skipping grades often results in significant knowledge gaps across multiple subjects.
