By Asha Elmi - Reporter
Somalia, Aug. 9, 2026 – A total of 44,017 students out of 45,452 passed Grade 8 examinations in Banadir region – a 96.8% pass rate – Abdirahman Ali Mohamed, director general of the Banadir Regional Education Directorate said on Sunday.
A total of 1,435 students failed the examinations, representing 3.2% of those who sat the tests, according to figures announced by the directorate.
Sumaya Hassan Abshir, a student at Mahmoud Harbi School in Warta Nabadda district of Mogadishu, ranked first with an average score of 96.88%.
Balqisa Muhammad Umar Muhammad of Geerle School in Dayniile district came second with 96.25%, while Ahmad Abdi Nasir Abdullahi of Al-Basa'ir Al-Mithaliyah School, also in Dayniile, ranked third with 95.88%, the directorate said.
Of the students who passed, 20,666 were girls and 23,351 were boys, while 546 girls and 889 boys failed the examinations, according to the figures announced by the education authorities.
The directorate said girls accounted for 45.47% of students who passed, compared with 51.38% for boys. Among those who failed, girls accounted for 1.2% and boys 1.96%, according to the announced figures.
The directorate said more than 5,400 people were involved in administering, supervising, marking and securing the examinations.
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Education officials praised students, teachers, school administrators, parents and security personnel involved in the examination process.
The directorate said the top 10 students would be published on its official page. The highest-performing students are also due to receive school books, uniforms and other educational materials, as well as four-year scholarships for secondary school.
Students and parents dissatisfied with their results will be able to request a review of examination papers, the directorate said. Students, their parents and relevant subject teachers will be allowed to examine the papers as part of the review process.
Officials also encouraged students who did not pass to continue their education and return to the classroom.