By Okhide Em’ya David
Ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has chided opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) over its (APC) allegation that the government has eliminated the first school leaving certificate examination in the state.
The PDP said the new national policy on Education (NNPE) section 4, subsection 19 provides that transition from primary school to Junior Secondary School should be automatic and not based on any examination.
A statement by the Party’s publicity secretary, Mr. Chris Nehikhare in Benin City at the weekend, said the state government has not cancelled the first School leaving certificate examination.
He said that the conduct of primary six examination is not to serve as a requirement for entering Junior secondary school but to provide an opportunity for a child leaving primary school to write a certificate examination.
Edo PDP noted that for those who do not have primary six certificate for one reason or the other, the ministry usually issues them letter of confirmation of primary school attendance for whatever purpose it is required.
The Party recalled that while considering the re-opening of schools in 2020 at the expiration of the nation-wide lockdown due to the ravaging corona virus, emphasis was placed on the conduct of WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, BECE (Basic Education Certificate Examination) and Common entrance into unity schools and not Primary six examination while the Honorable minister for Education stated that children at this level will not be able to comply with COVID-19 protocol.
The Party said the Government also noted that subjecting children of that age to write examination that spans for about five hours was considered a breach of COVID-19 protocol and unsafe by Edo State Government.
He said due to the prevailing circumstances in 2020, at a meeting of stakeholders in education it was decided that continuous assessment be used to grade the pupils and issue them for primary six certificate.
PDP said under the current system of Education, examination is not scored on 100%. Examination score is a cumulative of test marks and then some percentage of the final examination. Even the New National Policy on Education states that primary six examination shall be based on continuous assessment.
It said Education in Edo State is not suffering as alleged by APC and on the contrary, government investment is yielding bountiful results and it is the envy of many states who are adopting our Model.
The party cautioned that Education should not be politicized as It is obvious that APC cannot be trusted with information which they will twist and turn to bold face lies!
The PDP said they cannot imagine that APC is exposing their ignorance and ridiculing themselves with a statement they obviously have not researched but trying to hoodwink Edo people to gain cheap political point.
