The First School Leaving Certificate is not cancelled as alleged by APC.
(1) The New National policy on Education (NNPE) section 4 subsection 19 provides that transition from primary school to Junior secondary should be automatic and not based on any examination.
(2) 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 hence, it is called first school leaving certificate.
(3) 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.
(4) 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 on the conduct of WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, BECE (Basic Education Certificate Examination) and Common entrance into unity schools and not Primary six examination. The Honorable minister for Education stated that children at this level will not be able to comply with COVID-19 protocol.
(5) 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
(6) Hence in Edo state, 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 primary six certificate.
(7) 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.
(8) Education in Edo State is not suffering as alleged by APC. On the contrary, government investment is yielding bountiful results and it is the envy of many states who are adopting our Model.
(9) Education should not be politicized.
(10) It is obvious that APC cannot be trusted with information. They twist it and tell bold face lies! Can you imagine APC exposing their ignorance and ridiculing themselves with a statement they obviously haven’t researched but trying to hoodwink Edo people to gain cheap political point. They said, and I quote “The Primary School Certificate is a foundation certificate which qualifies
them admission into junior secondary school. And if they miss this opportunity now, its a lifetime opportunity lost forever.”
(11) Edo people must be weary of APC!
Edo Must Move Forward!
Signed
Chris Osa Nehikhare
SPS PDP EDO STATE
