Nine best pupils cannot write their names – Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Education

In a shocking revelation in Akwa Ibom state, the State Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Eunice Thomas, has said that nine pupils from the state public primary schools who had distinctions in First School Leaving Certificate examinations, were unable to write their names following a later test conducted on them.
Mrs Thomas said the revelation was made when the state Governor, Mr. Godswill Akpabio, had directed all heads of schools to select the best pupils from FSLC examination, one in each of the 31 local government areas of the state to a designated school, where they were re-examined.
The Commissioner who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr. Chrisantus Asuka, said this during a capacity building workshop for primary school teachers in Uyo Senatorial District on Saturday.
Speaking through the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Thomas said beside the nine, many others could not score 5 per cent in the test.
“We conducted a pre-test and say let’s introduce subjective questions, and not objective questions that one person will stand in the exam hall and just call out A or B to the candidates and they all will shape or thick the correct answer.
“At the end you realise that the child that scores 100 per cent cannot, if tested properly score 5 per cent.
“How did we discover this? In 2011, Akpabio directed all heads of schools to take the best pupils from FSLC examinations, one person per local government areas of the state.
“We sent them to school – honestly, out of this number sent, nine were unable to write their names, while many others beside the nine could not score up to 5 per cent in the test,” she said
The Commissioner however blamed teachers for lack of commitment which resulted in pushing the pupils into cheating to pass their examinations.
She also noted that most of the teachers in the state public schools were not qualified.
She said, “I went to a school in Ukanafun LGA. I saw a teacher, who looks like a village woman. I asked her who her commissioner was. She mentioned a name that was not from this side, at all.
“If you set the same questions you set for the pupils for the teachers, many of them cannot answer.

“The state government conducted an Aptitude Test using the same syllabus for the students to test the teachers; honestly 60 per cent of the teachers were unable to pass the examinations.”