Students march in Somalia to protest over exam cancellation

MOGADISHU, Somalia – Thousands of students marched through downtown Mogadishu, the Somali capital on Tuesday to protest against the cancellation of continuing secondary schools, Garowe Online reports.

Speaking to the state-owned TV, the country’s education minister Abdullahi Godah said Monday that the unified national exam for secondary schools has been terminated over alleged leakage on social media.

Barre said a new exam will be re-entered from 27th and 31st May while the government will take concrete measures by blocking all Social media platforms for five days to prevent a recurring circulation.

“The Somali government has taken a decision to cancel the national exam for secondary schools going in the three days after learning the papers had leaked on social media,” said the education minister.

The decision prompted large demonstrations in some parts of the country, including the capital, where students carrying posters with anti-government slogans brought the traffic to a standstill for a few hours.

At least one student was killed, several were injured and taken to hospitals after Somali police fired live bullets at student protesters in the capital, according to the eyewitnesses.

More than 31,500 Secondary school students in the country have been sitting since last Saturday for the unified national exam that is being administered by the Federal education ministry for the past 6 years.

During the rally on Tuesday, a huge car bomb explosion ripped through a local government headquarters in Mogadishu, killing nearly ten people and wounding over a dozen.

GAROWE ONLINE