The government of Edo State has declared that private schools will no longer be permitted to administer the Junior Secondary School’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the Primary School Leaving Certificate Examination.
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Chris Nehikhare, the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, told journalists in Benin yesterday that the government would announce the designated examination centres in March 2023.
This is a part of the ongoing reforms in the education sector. Exams will no longer be administered in four-bedroom homes or business centres, but rather in government-designated testing facilities.
“Private schools unwilling to comply with these reforms would not be permitted to operate in the state,” he stated.
He explained that the decision to have designated centres for these examinations was made to prevent malpractices, particularly “miracle centres” where mercenaries are brought into the school to sit for students’ exams.
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Nehikhare, responding to a viral video of a pa protest by members of the private school owners association, stated that whatever the government does in the education sector is for the benefit of everyone, especially the students.
He explained that the government’s reform was already bearing fruit, as the state ranked first in the West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE) of 2022 with 92.8 passes, including in Mathematics and English Language.
