…Insists on conduct of first school leaving certificate examination in the state
By Okhide Em’ya David
Rival All Progressive Congress (APC) in Edo State says it totally rejects any attempt by Governor Godwin Obaseki-led PDP administration to manipulate the Edo State Educational system, frustrate teachers, parents and guardians and cancel the 2020 First School Leaving Certificate.
Specifically, the APC rejects the thinking by the PDP Edo state government that its use of automatic promotion of Primary 5 and 6 pupils into both Public and Private Junior Secondary schools, in the wake of the nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus justifies its plot not to conduct the examinations.
The APC, while reacting to claims by Governor Obaseki that he gives priority attention to teachers’ welfare alerted the people about the ploy that will only serve to deprive the 2020 generation of primary 5 and 6 pupils of their First School Leaving Certificates.
The APC statement, signed by the assistant State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Victor Ofure Osehobo,
reads in part: “The importance of First School Leaving Certificate in any child’s life cannot be overemphasized.
“The Primary School Certificate is a foundation certificate which qualifies them admission into junior secondary school. And if they miss this opportunity now, it is a lifetime opportunity lost forever.
“Our party believes that Education offers children a ladder out of poverty and a path to a promising future, but majority of these children around the world, who are of primary school age, almost often have their educational aspirations thwarted by government’s inaction, as in the case of Edo, in addition to poverty, discrimination, armed conflict and emergencies among other factors.
“We are aware that whereas many states in the country like Lagos
Delta, Ondo, Anambra and Kaduna have as far back as March 2020, conducted the First School Leaving Certificate examinations, Edo state is yet to so.
“It is also mindbuggling that the Edo state governor on the occasion of this year’s International Day for Education would claim that equitable access to robust basic education for Edo children is a right which offers them opportunities to contribute meaningfully to societal growth and sustainable development, whereas he is working hard at denying them of their First School Leaving Certificates.
“It is therefore unacceptable that the Edo state administration will be contemplating the cancellation of the 2020 First School Leaving Certificate Examination in Edo state.
“We call on the PDP administration to immediately set up a task force as soon as academic activities, hopefully return to schools with effect from February 1st 2021, to organize these examinations. This is necessary because in a matter of weeks, the 2021 edition of the same examination will also be due”.
“This should not be an ordeal for the State government especially with Governor Obaseki’s call on the occasion of the International Day for Education, for the deployment of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) and the hype of his implementation of an Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (BEST) programme”.
