The Unified Examination Policy In Ogun

The adoption of a unified examination policy in all public secondary schools in January 2012, by the Ogun State government as part of its effort to provide free, qualitative and affordable education to its students, has brought great transformation to the education sector in the state.

Governor Ibikunle Amosun, during the electioneering campaign, promised the people of the state to restore the lost glory of the education which was introduced and enjoyed during the administration of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, w hen h e was Premier of the Western Region. The unified examination in Ogun State has undoubtedly helped to develop the students academically as there has been

an improvement in the performance of students both in the promotional examinations and the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) result. It has also compelled teachers to ensure completion of students’ syllabus because questions evolve round the syllabus Before the advent of Amosun administration, no lower, the than 80 percent of students sitting for the yearly Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) and National Examination Council (NECO) could not boast of four credits.

But now, the reverse is the case as students are now having more than five credits as a result of free qualitative and affordable education, initiative of the present administration which among other things gave birth to the introduction of unified examination.

The legacy of Chief Obafemi Awolowo in education fizzled out, but the Amosun government has restored the lost glory of this sector in Ogun State. The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology in the State, Barrister Segun Odubela, speaking on the challenges and successes recorded so far with the adoption of unified examination, said the policy has indeed brought succour to the state’s educational sector.

Odubela said though there were initial challenges such as printing of a subject name on another subject paper, repetition of one question and students’ inability to easily adapt to the system at the conduct of the first and second examination but the anomalies have been corrected, adding that the exercise has been a wonderful and rewarding experience. He pointed out that the examination has contributed immensely

in developing a unified scheme of work among all secondary schools as well as a unified timetable and assessment of students’ performance, which he said serves as a means of compelling all teachers to ensure total completion of their syllabus for students because examination question always evolves round the syllabus.

‘’The unified examination which is first of its kind in the State has served as a unique method of measuring the academic standard of students and a veritable way of assessing the efficiency of teachers. It has also attracted the interest of many private schools because a lot of school proprietors and proprietress have indicated their interest to be part of the policy due to its impact in students performances and academic excellence and how it has helped to transform the State educational sector’’ he noted.

The examination is being conducted in all public primary and secondary schools in the State.The Commissioner said the State Government spends close to 90million per term for the successful conduct of the examination, publication of the unified scheme of work for teachers, purchase and printing of question papers while explaining that by the end of year 2014 3rd term examination, the unified examination would have completed three years academic sessions.His words: The introduction of unified examination and the free qualitative and affordable education policy in the State has added lot of laurels and honour to the State. In the last 2013 WASSCE, the overall best mathematic student in Nigeria was from one of our public schoola.

Also in the NNPC mathematic/ quiz competition last year, our State came 1st at the geo-political zone and 2nd at national. In addition, in the 2013 president’s teachers and school excellence awards, Ogun State won six categories of award i ncluding the best secondary school administrator 1st position by Mrs Sosanwo Folashade; best teacher (Junior School) 1st position by Mrs Akintade Esther, Best teacher primary school 1st position by Mr Olayemi Olatunji, best secondary school senior 2nd position by Mr Obalenge Joseph, best school administrator 2nd position by Mr Oduselu Olugbenga and best school administrator primary school by Mr Sule Kazeem.

While in 2012 Ogun State won five categories of award both in 1st and 2nd position. According to Odubela, another benefit of the scheme is the timely release of student’s result immediately after the examination. “Unlike before, result of first term is usually released by either first or second week of second term resumption, but now, all students in all the State public school get there result before the school goes on vacation”.

SOURCE: THE SUN