Emmanuel Thomas
May 10, 2015 – The Lagos State Government at the weekend conducted test for 8,700 pupils seeking admission into 15 Junior Model and upgraded secondary schools for the 2015/2016 academic session.
Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye who monitored the exercise explained that no fewer than 18 candidates sat for the pilot computer based examination (CBT) in addition to the regular Paper Pencil mode.
Oladunjoye said that the CBT mode of examination has come to stay in the state since the world was going ICT stressing that the state does not want to be left behind thus the need to prepare the children ahead.
“`You will recall that the last examination that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) conducted was CBT based and whether we like it or not, we are going to start computer based testing in our schools. That is why we thought that at this stage of children’s development, let us experiment and see how it goes. And we can see that the candidates coped very well, I am pleased with the conduct of the examination,” she said.
The Commissioner expressed her satisfaction with the pilot CBT examination adding that she was particularly elated that 18 candidates sat for the piloted CBT examination.
“About 18 of them are writing the CBT mode; I feel really elated and fulfilled because that is what I had always wanted to happen. Everything seems calm, the children are writing their examination, the question papers are sufficient and the answer sheets have their pictures embroiled on it. The pupils are serious minded and I can see the enthusiasm on them,’’ the Commissioner opined.
She commended the examination board for improving and perfecting the act of writing examination every year adding that the state government has already started planning ahead to accommodate the increasing number candidates in future examinations.
“Today’s examination is better than last year and we will continue to improve in the shortest of time to attain success’’ she said.
Earlier, the Director, Lagos State Examination Board, Mr. Femi Hassan said that ICT has gone global and that Lagos being a front line state decided to go CBT adding that the CBT would help to curb the menace of examination malpractice since the questions are randomized
“As a government, we saw that we have the capacity to go CBT and we decided to pilot the scheme and today it is a success. We wanted 20 candidates for the pilot scheme hence it was limited so that we can draw from the experience. In CBT, questions are randomized, students cannot copy each other, your number one is not the same with others,“ he said.
He said that students cannot cheat with the process adding that government would conduct the next junior secondary school certificate examination using the CBT in 2016.
The 15 Model Colleges and Upgraded Schools include Model Junior College, Meiran; Vetland Junior Grammar School, Ifako Ijaiye; Model Junior College, Igbokuta; Civil Service Model Junior College, Igbogbo; Oriwu Model Junior College, Ikorodu; Government Junior College, Ikorodu.
Others include Model Junior College, Igbonla; Model Junior College, Agbowa; Model Junior College Badore; and Lagos State Junior Model College, Ojo. . Eva Adelaja Memorial Junior Secondary, Bariga; Model Junior College, Kankon; Government Junior College, Ketu, Epe; Epe Junior Grammar, Epe; and Badagry Junior Grammar School, Badagry.
Some of the centres monitored include Vetland Junior and Senior Grammar School, Agege, Government Junior College, Agege and Lagos State Examination Board, venue of the CBT.
