No fewer than 62,000 Primary Six Pupils yesterday sat for the 2024 common entrance (placement) examinations into public Junior Secondary School One across the 16 Local Government Areas in Kwara State.
The State Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Hajia Sa’adatu Modibbo Kawu, who made the disclosure in Ilorin, said the exercise took place at various centres across the state.
Hajia Modibbo Kawu, alongside a team from the Ministry, monitored the exercise in some centres in Ilorin, Oke-Ero, and Ekiti Local Government Areas of the state.
The Commissioner, who applauded the hitch-free exercise, noted that the centres visited were peaceful as the commencement of the examination was timely.
Expressing satisfaction over the conduct of the exercise, the Commissioner commended the State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his commitment at improving the quality of education, which is now drawing more families to the public schools system in the state.
She disclosed that the transition examination from primary to junior secondary school is fully sponsored by the state government, pointing out that Mallam AbdulRazaq is a peoples’ governor who feels the plight of an average Kwaran.
Modibbo Kawu explained further that the state government is committed to ensuring that no child is left behind in accessing quality education throughout the state.
“As you can see, everything is hitch-free and going on well. Let me quickly give kudos to the state government and the management and staff of the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development involved in the process, for doing a great job at ensuring good preparation and seamless exercise, as reports gathered from other centres across the state reinforced that it was satisfactory.
“As a government, we will encourage our children to enrol in public schools by providing the enabling environment to improve learning outcomes. The present administration places education on the front burner and ensures that everyone has access to qualitative education”, the Commissioner stated.
Also Speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Rebecca Olanrewaju Bake, who applauded the governor for the prompt release of fund for the conduct of the Common Entrance Examination, charged teachers across the state to continue to put in their best to complement government’s efforts in revamping the education sector in the state.
The Director, Curriculum and Assessment Department, Mrs. Victoria Funmilayo Adewuyi described this year’s Common Entrance Examination as one of the best in recent times.
Speaking on behalf of the parents, Mrs. Aisha Ahmed commended the state government for conducting the placement examination in a conducive environment and sponsoring the examination in full, noting that their wards were well attended to during the exercise.
The centres visited by the Commissioner’s team included Junior Secondary School,Agbe-ola Oro, St. Anthony’s Secondary School, Ilorin; Babalola Memorial Grammar School, Odo-Owa, and Iloffa Grammar School, Iloffa, in Oke-Ero LGA; Osi Central Secondary School, Osi; CAC Junior Secondary School, Osi, Anglican Comprehensive High School, Oke-Opin and Community Junior Secondary School, Epe-Opin, all in Ekiti LGA.
The Commissioner, who led the Kwara South Senatorial District team, was accompanied on the monitoring exercise by the Permanent Secretary, Directors, and other members of staff of the Ministry.