By Sorie Ibrahim Fofanah
The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) ahead of the National Primary School Examination (NPSE) on Saturday 4th May this year, confirmed a total of one hundred and sixty-four thousand three hundred and seventy-eight (164,378) candidates for the entrance exam into Junior Secondary School.
Of that total number, 80, 855 are boys and 83,523 girls.
Accordingly, about 4,954 schools entered this years’ NPSE held at over 310 centers across the country.
Chief Minster, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh in a verified social media post pointed out how kids with various special needs can now take public exams which he believes is due to their Radical Inclusion and Free Quality Education policies.
Achebe Cole, the class master for the NPSE candidates at the Amazing Grace Model Primarily School at Looking Town explained to Politico how a partially blind pupil called Dennis Foday Kamara has been struggling with his academic work ahead of the public exam.
Speaking on the challenges, he highlighted how he had been setting special exams for the half-blind boy, done through reading the multiple-choice questions aloud and stating the options.
Speaking on his general role, he said he has put in a lot of efforts in preparing the pupils from his school to ensure they do well in the exam. “I believe, with what I have done, they can do better,” he emphasised.
Speaking at the exam center, David Kanneh, a father of an 11-year-old girl candidate at the Victory Primary School expressed how happy he was for his first child taking her first public exam. “I value education, though I am not educated,” Kanneh confirmed, hoping that his daughter will break that barrier and that he will do all he can to ensure that his girl child is educated.
“I have seen so many parents around this morning, but we are yet to see the classrooms open, and the time now is 08:08 a.m.,” he said.
Haja Aruna, a parent of -11-year-old pupil at the Quarry Community Primarily School expressed delight over her child taking the NPSE and wished all the pupils success.
She recalled how she had been helping her child at home to prepare for the public exam, since there were no extra-school classes.
Fatmata Bangura, a mother of a-13-year-old boy who is a pupil at the Quarry Community Primary School said, “I feel happy as my child is taking his first public exam, and I pray God guides and protect all the other pupils”.
Bangura added that a private lesson was conducted for her child at home after school.
Speaking to Politico, the headmaster of the Quarry Community Primary School, Almammy Abu Bangura disclosed that over 105 candidates in his school took this year’s exam. “I am the headmaster as well as the class master,” Bangura said, adding other teachers in the school have been helping him.
He pointed out how his school over the years has been doing well in the said exam. “The highest grade the school has got since my time here as headmaster is aggregate 314,” he added.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (06/05/24)
