Inmates at Torit Prison who sat the 2018 South Sudan Certificate of Primary Education have emerged top, according to Torit State ministry of education results.

The acting state education minister Vitale Ongejuk officially released the results on Wednesday.

He said 88 schools registered for the examinations but the six Torit Prison inmates under the Accelerated Learning Program all performed well. Ongejuk commended the prison administration for providing a conducive learning environment for inmates.

The minister noted that the results indicate a decline in performance of candidates attributing this to harsh economic situations pushing both teachers and pupils out of the classroom. However, he advised the teachers to work harder and improve the education standards in the state.

“The pass number in 2017 was 1,592; the pass number for 2018 is 1,139. The percentage of passes in 2017 was 83% and in 2018, is 60.4%. That means performances have dropped,” he explained.

According to the education official,  Longilo Primary School in Lopit West County and the Accelerated Learning Program in Hiyala Payam of Torit East County registered the worst performances in last year’s exams.

South Sudan's education indicators are among the worst in the world due to protracted conflicts and underfunding by the government.