Somaliland’s Minister of Education, and Science, Isma’il Yusuf Duale, has strongly criticised telecommunications company Telesom for charging students to access their examination results, describing the move as unacceptable and warning that the company will be held accountable.
The minister’s remarks came after the Ministry of Education announced the results of the Grade 12 secondary school and Grade 8 primary and middle school examinations on Wednesday.
According to the minister, students who have spent between eight and twelve years pursuing their education should not be required to pay money simply to find out whether they passed their examinations.
Telesom reportedly required students to purchase 0.4 worth of internet credit before they could access their results through the company’s Aqoon-maal service.
“We were disappointed to see on Wednesday that, instead of sharing in the students’ joy, Telesom imposed a fee on parents for students to access their examination results,” Minister Isma’il Yusuf Ducaale said.
“We will hold those responsible accountable, and action will be taken against whoever was involved,” he added.
The minister also called on Telesom to immediately reverse the decision, saying that charging students to access their final examination results was an inappropriate measure.
He described the move as a mistake, particularly on a day when students, parents and teachers were expected to celebrate the outcome of years of education and hard work.
The minister’s comments put pressure on Telesom to reconsider the charges and ensure that students can access their examination results without being required to pay an additional fee.
The dispute comes as thousands of Somaliland students and their families celebrate the announcement of the latest national examination results.