- Examination will be held across the state’s public schools
- Govt emphasized the importance of adhering to the designated timetable, encouraging students to prepare for the screening/examination
Oyo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology is set to conduct screening exercise for primary six pupils transiting into public junior secondary schools in the coming academic session on July 31, 2023.
This was contained in a circular, released by the Registrar, Mr Yekeen M.B, on behalf of the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusanjo Adeniyi in Ibadan.
The release indicated that the examination will be held across the state’s public schools across the state by 9.00am.
The Permanent Secretary, therefore, called on all heads of school, concerned teachers, and students to strictly adhere to the screening /placement examination time table.
The circular reads: “Concerned people are enjoined to pass the information to all relevant stakeholders to ensure everyone is well-informed and adequately prepared for the screening examination exercise.
“The Permanent Secretary also emphasized the importance of adhering to the designated timetable, encouraging students to prepare for the screening/examination.
“Head of Schools, concerned parents and students are admonished to regularly check for updates as well as further instructions from the state Ministry of Education,” the permanent secretary said.
Meanwhile, the Executive Chairman, Oyo State Post-Primary Teaching Service Commission, Akinade Alamu, on Tuesday, said the state government might start enforcing the examination malpractice Act, as enshrined in the Nigerian 1999 Constitution.
Alamu, who stated this during an interview with journalists in Ibadan, the state capital, said the Act stipulated a three year jail term or fine of N100,000 or both for anyone caught and found guilty of compromising exam ethics in the country.
He said the government had so far adopted administrative measures in addressing examination malpractices in the state, insisting that the government would not hesitate to ensure that the laws guiding the conduct of public exams in the country takes its full course in the state.
On the erring teachers, the chairman stated that the government had not taken final decision on whether to pardon them or not.
Alamu said, “We have received appeals from traditional rulers and the Nigeria Union of Teachers. But we have very high regard for NUT, a very noble union of professionals. We respect the leadership of NUT and its members, NUT is a union that gave maximum cooperation to Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration since its inception.
“When we came on board, we decided that this problem should be nipped in the bud and we started sanctioning the erring teachers and principals. So, we have done it for two to three years now, suspending teachers that were involved and we want you to understand that examination malpractice is criminal.
“At the end we took administrative steps to address the issues and when we did it, there had been appeals and pleadings from various quarters.”