The Minister of National Education, Dr. Al-Tohami Al-Zain Hajar, met in his office Sunday with a delegation from the General Union of Sudanese Students, led by Secretary-General Adel Araki, in the presence of the Ministry’s Undersecretary, Dr. Ahmed Khalifa Omar. The meeting discussed several issues related to the development of student activities and support for general education. The Minister commended the role played by the Union in supporting the education process, particularly during the Secondary School Certificate examinations, which were conducted under exceptional and complex circumstances, stressing that students represent the cornerstone of development and future-building. Dr. Hajar underscored the importance of strengthening national education programmes and extracurricular activities as an integral part of the curriculum, noting that schools are the most suitable platform for instilling national and educational values. He also said morning assemblies and activity periods could be effectively utilized to achieve these objectives. He further indicated the Ministry’s serious efforts to reinstate school sports tournaments, given their educational and national value in shaping generations of Sudanese students. He called for intensified joint efforts to monitor the situation of Sudanese students abroad and address their concerns, as well as coordination between the Ministry and the Union to protect students from drugs and negative social phenomena. He also stressed the importance of the Union’s contribution to supporting the marking of the Secondary School Certificate examinations, which are set to begin on June 20, with the participation of more than 7,000 male and female teachers. For his part, Secretary-General of the General Union of Sudanese Students, Adel Araki, praised the Ministry of Education’s efforts in organizing the Secondary School Certificate examinations despite the challenges posed by the war, commending the field visits conducted by the Minister and Undersecretary to monitor the examination process at various centres. Araki reviewed the Union’s initiatives in supporting the education process, including a convoy sent to support students in South Kordofan. He also highlighted the challenges facing nearly two million Sudanese students abroad, calling for greater coordination among relevant authorities to ensure continuity of their education and welfare. He reaffirmed the Union’s support for the Ministry’s efforts to revive student activities, noting that the reconstruction of schools is among the Union’s top priorities in the coming phase, and that it will actively contribute to rebuilding efforts and restoring the educational environment after the war.BH/BH