By: Ginaba Lino
The Directorate of Civil Registry, Nationality, Passports, and Immigration has launched a school-based National ID registration campaign targeting Primary Eight and Senior Four candidates preparing for this year’s national examinations.
Launched on Tuesday at Juba Day Secondary School under the theme, “Candidates Are the Future Generation of Our Nation,” the initiative brings nationality and identification services directly to schools, reducing the need for students and their families to travel long distances to access the services.
The campaign is intended to ease the financial burden on families while ensuring examination candidates obtain the legal identification documents required ahead of their national exams without disrupting their studies.
Speaking during the launch, the State Minister of General Education and Instruction, Hon. Lupai Satimon Andrew, commended the Directorate for introducing the initiative, describing it as timely given the country’s current economic challenges.
He noted that many students and parents are unable to afford transport costs from distant counties to the Directorate’s headquarters to process nationality documents and passports. He said taking the services directly to schools will save families money while improving access to essential government services.
Meanwhile, the Director General of Civil Registry, Nationality, Passports, and Immigration, Major General Eliza Kosta, said the mobile registration campaign was introduced to reduce the time and cost associated with processing national identification documents.
He explained that many students spend several days traveling to and waiting at the Directorate’s headquarters, causing them to miss valuable classroom time. The school-based registration program, he said, allows Primary Eight and Senior Four candidates to obtain their national documents while remaining focused on their academic preparation.
The Directorate plans to expand the mobile registration campaign to more primary and secondary schools across the country in the coming weeks. Education authorities hope the initiative will ensure all examination candidates receive their National IDs well before the start of the national examinations.