168,843 pupils sit for JSS1 placement test in Lagos

Olayinka Oladunjoye, Lagos State Commissioner for Education

No fewer than 168,843 primary six pupils, from both public and private schools in Lagos State, sat for the 2016/2017 placement test into Junior Secondary School I on Saturday.

Dr Ganiyu Sopeyin, the Executive Secretary of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), who monitored the exercise at Ilupeju Junior and Senior Grammar School, Ilupeju, told newsmen that the conduct of the test was hitch-free.

He expressed satisfaction with the conduct of examination, saying that most of the centres visited were well coordinated and peaceful.

He added that this indicated that the government had prepared adequately for the exercise.

Sopeyin said that the examination started early in most centres, while few other centres had challenges with late arrival of some pupils and inability of some pupils to locate their centres on time.

“One major challenge I can point out is late arrival of some pupils to their examination centres.

“In one of the centres visited, the supervisors and invigilators were seen waiting for the pupils as at 9 a.m and that is why the examination started late in some centres.

“Only eligible Primary Six pupils were registered and sat for the examination, as directed by the state government.

“We will not allow any pupil in Primary Five to write the exam and we have warned parents and teachers about this.

“Two pupils discovered to be in Primary Five, who tried to sit for the test, were turned back.

“We still have a lot to do to educate parents to know that their children must be ripe enough before they can be allowed to sit for the examination,’’ he said.

Sopeyin also commented on the large number of pupils sitting for the public school examination, saying that the cosmopolitan nature of the state had continued to attract people all over the country to the state.

The pupils were tested in English Language, Mathematics and General Paper.

The centres visited include Immaculate Heart Comprehensive Junior and Senior High School, Maryland and Army Cantonment Junior and Senior Secondary School, Ikeja.

Other schools aree Ilupeju Junior and Senior Grammar School, Ilupeju, Lagos.

Some parents commended the state government for the smooth conduct of the examination.

One of them, Mrs Fatimo Adebiyi, said she was impressed with the arrangements put in place for the test, as pupils were not posted far from their location.

Adebiyi said that the centres were quite easy to locate, while the candidates were not kept waiting endlessly.