FG commences learning nationwide assessment

The Federal Government has declared the commencement of the National Assessment of Learning Achievements at the Basic education level, nationwide.

Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, who made this known in Abuja while briefing Journalists on the outcome of the 5th edition of the meeting, said the assessment will enable the tracking of standards of education at the basic schools.

He said: “We have to know exactly which state is doing well in basic education and to know where basic education is functioning better.

Read more at: https://dailytimes.ng/category/education

We also want to know why basic education is really having problems and to ensure that a response of intervention agency such as UBEC is tailor made to bring everyone on board.

The Nigerian government is ready to tackle issues of been in school without learning’’.

According to him,” the main objective of the assessment is to use quantitative and qualitative methods to assess and determine the efficiency and quality of performance of primary and junior secondary school pupils and students in Nigeria”.

He also emphasised that the assessment of learners’ achievement is crucial to the implementation of Basic Education programme.

He said “the exercise exposes learners’ performance in curricular delivery and impact of intervening variables, synthesize basic information on primary and junior secondary schools in Nigeria and use it to explain pupils/ student’s achievement, access to schools, internal efficiency of primary and junior secondary schools”.

The UBEC boss noted that the specific objectives include collection of data on achievements of learners between primaries 5 and 6 and JS 2 and 3 in core subjects of English studies, Mathematics, Basic Science and Technology and Social Studies.

Dr. Bobboyi also hinted that the target population to consider involves all public and private primary and junior secondary schools in the 36states of the country and the Federal Capital Territory.

“For the primary level, the Local Government Education Authorities in each of the 36 states and the FCT were stratified on the basis of location. Simple random sampling was used to select six LGEAs in the urban and rural locations.

“The exercise will involve head teachers and teachers of selected primaries 5 and 6 classes. The sample is to consist of 216 LGEAs, 1080 primary schools, 1080 head teachers, 2160 teachers and 43,200 pupils.

“In the junior secondary school level 17,280 students and 12,960 parents would participate.

432 principals and 1728 teachers of English, Mathematics, Basic science and Technology and social studies teachers across the J.s 2 and 3classes Will be selected to participate in the study,” Dr. Bobboyi added.

On the sustainability of the assessment, the UBEC ES said Nigeria will maintain international standard of conducting the exercise every two years. The Assessment is expected to hold between of 22nd and 24th of November.

Augustine Okezie, Abuja