On Friday, March 27, all roads led to Salam Girls Foundation School in Aweil Town, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, South Sudan, as the state officially announced the results of the Primary Eight pupils who sat for the 2025 Certificate of Primary Education (CPE) exams. New Hope International Schools dominated with impressive numbers. A total of 8,820 pupils from 227 schools sat for the exams—3,814 boys and 5,006 girls. The girls performed better than boys, with a pass percentage of 98.3% compared to the boys’ 93.3%.
The results were announced by the State Minister of General Education and Instruction, Hon. Akoon Ding Angok. The Guest of Honour was Hon. Dominic Kang Deng, who represented the Governor of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, His Excellency Charles Madut Akol Deng. The pupils sat for five subjects: Christian Religious Education (CRE)/Islamic Religious Education (IRE), Science, Social Studies (SST), Maths, and English Language.
Among the five subjects, CRE/IRE was the best performed, with a pass percentage of 98.5%, followed by Science with 97.1%, SST with 93.2%, Maths with 90.9%, and English with 49.3%. The latter was alarming, as English is the official language used in government business and instruction in schools and institutions.
New Hope International Schools Pupil Best in the State
As usual, the 2025 Certificate of Primary Education results grouped the 8,820 pupils who sat for last year’s exams into a top ten. A total of 83 pupils were placed in the top ten, as some shared positions. Of these, 43 were from New Hope International Schools. Daniel Deng Leek Deng from New Hope International Schools was the best in the state, with a total score of 499, amounting to 89.8%.
The second position was shared by two students, each with a total of 448, amounting to 89.6%. These students were Abraham Tong Bol Ayii from New Life Primary School and Adut Akol Anguel Akol from City of Glory Academy. The third position was also shared by two students, each with 447, amounting to 89.4%: one from New Life Primary School and the other from New Hope International Schools.
Top Ten Girls in Northern Bahr el Ghazal CPE Results
Girl child education is an area that has received special consideration in South Sudan, as culturally many girls have grown up without exposure to education. A number of non-governmental organizations, such as Girls’ Education South Sudan (GESS), have come forward to lend a helping hand.
As a result, it is imperative to highlight the outstanding girls so they may inspire others to follow the same path. In the top ten girls, using positions 1–6, a total of 16 girls were recognized, 8 of whom were from New Hope International Schools—highlighting the school’s dominance in the 2025 CPE results in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State.
Also read about how Uganda Girls beat Boys in 2025 Primary Leaving Exams ( PLE ).
Remarks from the Guest of Honour
The Guest of Honour was Hon. Dominic Kang Deng, who represented the Governor of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, His Excellency Charles Madut Akol Deng. He began by conveying greetings from the governor and congratulated the pupils for their hard work and excellent performance. Hon. Dominic Kang Deng appreciated the parents and various stakeholders for joining hands to ensure children remained in school and urged the pupils not to disappoint their parents.
In addition, he spoke about an initiative being pursued by the State Ministry of General Education and Instruction to establish scholarships at the state level, rather than the national level, where most students from the state currently do not receive any. This would greatly help further the education of students who, after finishing either Primary Eight or Senior Four, lack the means to continue their studies.
The ceremony concluded with several parents giving gifts to the pupils and teachers, and sharing refreshments with the general public in attendance. Following New Hope International Schools’ dominance in the Certificate of Primary Education results, attention now shifts to the Senior Four results, which are expected to be released by June or July. Will New Hope International Schools dominate again?
