14th May, 2016
Mr Adesina Odeyemi, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Education, disclosed this to newsmen after monitoring the exercise.
Odeyemi was accompanied by the Director, Lagos State Examinations Board, Mr Oluwafemi Hassan to monitor the examinations across the state.
They visited Government Junior Grammar School, Iyana-Ipaja, CBT centre at the Examination Board Complex and Vertland Junior Model College, Agege, Lagos.
Odeyemi expressed satisfaction in the smooth conduct of the examination at the centres visited.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this is an improvement compared to the 8,900 candidates that sat for the test in 2015.
The permanent secretary said the examination was conducted both in the Computer Based Test (CBT) mode and the Paper Pencil Test (PPT) mode.
He said that 54 out of the candidates sat for the computer mode, while the rest sat for the PPT.
He said more pupils sat for the CBT mode this year compared to 17 candidates who opted for the CBT pilot scheme in 2015.
“We have not done badly in the conduct of the examination, some centres started early, while a few others started late due the late arrival of candidates.
“Generally, it was a well conducted examination, but the observations and complaints from some parents will be look into and be corrected in future examinations.
“The number for the CBT mode is increasing because of the awareness in schools; it also shows that parents too are embracing ICT.
“Government will continue to invest in education and train our children acquire ICT knowledge from kindergarten.
“Candidates will be placed in schools according to the cut- off marks,” he said.
The permanent secretary said the state government was preparing to adopt the CBT mode in primary and secondary schools in the state.
He said the Lagos State Ministry Science and Technology had been directed by the state governor to provide ICT centres, equipment and facilities in schools across the state.
He said the state would switch over to the CBT mode of examinations as soon as the facilities were on ground, adding that the world had gone beyond manual mode of examinations.
The Director, Lagos State Examination Board, Mr Oluwafemi Hassan, also told newsmen that more students were developing interests in computer based examinations.
He said that in 2015, the 17 candidates who sat for the examination passed and gained admissions into the model and upgraded schools.
He said an Optical Marker Recognition sheet, with embossed pictures of the candidates was used for the test.
“The CBT mode is not easier than the PPT, the questions are the same but we randomized it in the computer mode so the candidate cannot cheat or assist each other.
“The CBT mode has eliminated examination malpractices and delayed results; with this mode, students get their results almost immediately after the test.
“Last year, we had 17 candidates for the pilot scheme, and this year we have 54 candidates, which shows that our pupils are becoming aware of the computer-based- test mode of examinations,” he said.
A parent, Mrs Mariam Yakubu, however, complained that the picture and name of her daughter was omitted from the list of candidates at Vertland Junior Secondary School.
Yakubu said the print-out given to her daughter after registration stated the centre but other information missing.
She urged the state government to investigate the complaint so that her child would not be denied admission on errors not caused by her. (NAN)