Jubilation In Anambra As State Comes First In WASSCE

                                  

Odogwuemekaodogwu.blogspot.com reports that students and teachers in secondaryt school system in Anambra state were jubilating over the released results of this year’s West African Examination (WASSCE).

Amara Ngwu of Emeka Aghasili Secondary School Nise and Uchenna Odogwu of Comprehensive Secondary Nawfia among others spoke to this reporter today.

They said it was due to the education reforms embarked upon by Anambra State in the last couple of years which has continued to yield results.

Schools in the state emerged the overall best in the 2014 West African Senior   School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). This was a repeat of the feat recorded last year.

The official WAEC result, made available to the media, showed that Anambra State (65.92 per cent), Abia State (58.52 per cent), Edo State (57.82) came topmost.

Nevertheless, eight out of the 36 states in Nigeria recorded a score less than 10%. These states include Adamawa, Jigawa, Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi. Others are Gombe, Bauchi and Yobe.

The percentage of the total number of candidates that obtained a minimum of five credits, including English Language and General Mathematics, was 31.21 per cent as against 30.90 per cent, 37.66 per cent  and 36.57 per cent for the 2011, 2012 2013 WASSCE  examinations. This, according to WAEC, implies that the average performance of the candidates in the May/June 2014 WASSCE was lower than that of the 2013.

Commenting on the feat by Anambra State, education experts from and outside the State  t linked it to the  courageous return of schools, hitherto  thought as impossible, to the Missionaries in 2010 by the former Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, who thereafter continued to pay the salaries of tutorials and non-tutorials staff as well as provided direct funding to the missionaries that enabled them to rehabilitate the schools and provide learning materials and facilities.

It will be recalled that the  Minister of State for Education, Barr Nyeso Wike predicted what is happening in Anambra State when he visited the State under Governor Obi, during  the launching of the distribution of 25,000 computers,450 nos of 50 KVA generators  and 500 school buses to schools in the State. Commending Obi for investing heavily on education by judicious use of Federal and State monies to rehabilitate schools in the State. He said that  he would advise that Obi's policies be replicated throughout  the country.

The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Suleman Dikko  had at another event, during  presentation of cheques totaling over One Billion Naira to public and missionary schools for the provision of infrastructure, expressed surprise at the transformation of schools in the State  in the area of  provision of computers, Internet connectivity, provision of sick  bays, libraries, buses, generators, among others and said that with what he witnessed, that Anambra would soon become the leading light in education in the country.

The former Governor could not be reached for his reactions  as he was said to be  away to the USA attending the World Igbo Congress.