Why We Cancelled the Juba Secondary Schools Mini Competition 2025

At the Excellence Foundation for South Sudan (EFSS), our mission is rooted in the pursuit of excellence, integrity, and opportunity for every student we serve. It is with a heavy heart, but clear conscience, that we announce the cancellation of the Juba Secondary Schools Mini Competition 2025.

This decision did not come lightly. On Friday last week (18 July 2025), the competition was overshadowed by an unresolved dispute involving a semifinal fixture between two participating schools held on Thursday, 17 July 2025, that stemmed from mistakes made by the adjudication panel - the errors were not noticed during the review processes by both the panel and coaches. Despite our best efforts to mediate and encourage a fair outcome, the parties involved could not reach an agreement. The intensity of the disagreement, compounded by issues of misconduct and recurring disciplinary concerns from a previous fixture and last year’s edition, raised serious questions about the integrity and viability of continuing the event.

Our Board of Directors convened to assess the matter thoroughly. After careful deliberation, they issued Resolution EFSS/BR/07-2025, formally declaring the cancellation of the competition. This decision was made in the interest of fairness and to protect the credibility of our programs going forward. While disappointing, we believe it is a responsible step that allows us to regroup and build better.

We recognize the inconvenience and frustration this decision may cause, especially to schools that participated in good faith. To honor their commitment and trust, we are issuing full refunds of the SSP 100,000 participation fees to all schools that had paid. Each institution will contact us directly, and we are making every effort to ensure that the refund process is as quick and transparent as possible.

In addition, all participating schools will receive formal communication from EFSS outlining the reasons behind the cancellation and extending our sincere apologies. We want our school communities to know that this action was taken not out of haste, but out of a deep desire to uphold the values we stand for.

We also recognize that this moment calls for institutional reflection. The EFSS project management team is now undertaking a comprehensive reassessment of how we organize and deliver school competitions. We aim to develop a more structured, transparent, and conflict-resilient model for the future. This includes reviewing our judging protocols, code of conduct, and the overall experience we offer to both students and school staff.

We are in conversation with key partners such as the Central Equatoria State Ministry of General Education and Instruction, the Directorate of Education - Juba City Council, Concerned Podcast, City Brands Company Limited, the Mental Health Society South Sudan, and all our volunteer adjudicators. These valued collaborators have expressed their willingness to reallocate their support toward other EFSS-led competitions, such as those planned in Yei, Kapoeta South, and the Juba Primary Schools. Their flexibility and continued faith in our work are deeply appreciated.

To strengthen our internal systems, EFSS will draft a comprehensive Code of Conduct for all participants—including students, coaches, and judges—to ensure expectations and consequences are clearly defined from the outset.

This experience has also reminded us of the incredible demands placed on our volunteers and staff. Their dedication is the backbone of everything we do, and we are committed to improving how we support them, reduce burnout, and recognise their efforts going forward.

We know that many students and educators looked forward to this event with excitement and hope. And we know that cancelling it may feel like a setback. But we believe this moment is a chance to pause, reflect, and realign ourselves with the principles that brought us here in the first place. This is not the end of school competitions at EFSS. It is a necessary reset—one that will lead us to stronger, fairer, and more impactful programs in the future.

To every student, teacher, volunteer, and partner: thank you for standing with us. We remain committed to building a brighter, more equitable future for South Sudan—one lesson, one event, one generation at a time.

The second edition of the Juba Secondary Schools Mini Competition kicked off on Tuesday, 1 July 2025, with eight participating schools and was planned to end by Thursday, 24 July 2025. This year’s competition categories include Spelling Bee, Speed Challenge Quiz, Speech, Academic Debate, Music, Dance and Drama, as the last two listed items are being introduced into the contest’s experience for the first time.

Schools participating in this year’s edition are: Golden Brains Academy, Juba Diplomatic Secondary School, Bright Light Secondary School, Brilliant Academy — Juba, Elite High School — Juba, Juba Integrated High School, City High School, and Horizon Academy Secondary School.

If you have any questions or feedback, please don’t hesitate to reach out via email [email protected] or WhatsApp: +211925087508. We welcome your voices as we continue this journey together.

With purpose and gratitude,

The EFSS Team