By Ali Rabiu Ali, Ringim
The Federal Government has commenced a nationwide learning assessment exercise aimed at measuring the academic performance of pupils and students across the country, with the findings expected to guide future education policies and interventions.
Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, disclosed this on Thursday after monitoring the National Learning Assessment exercise in Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
The minister, who declared the week as National Learning Assessment Week, said the exercise was designed to provide a unified national framework for evaluating learning outcomes at both the basic and senior secondary education levels.
She explained that the assessment covers Primary Five, Junior Secondary School Two (JS2) and Senior Secondary School Two (SS2) students in selected public and private schools across the country.
According to her, officials of the Federal Ministry of Education visited schools to monitor the conduct of the exercise and ensure compliance with examination guidelines.
“I visited three schools, comprising two secondary schools and one basic school, and I am satisfied with the conduct of the assessment. The examinations started on time, the students were properly seated, and everything went smoothly,” she said.
Professor Ahmad expressed optimism that the outcome of the assessment would provide reliable data on students’ learning achievements and help the Federal Government design evidence-based interventions to improve the quality of education nationwide.
“The result of this assessment will give us a clear picture of the level of learning outcomes among our students. It will guide government planning and interventions to ensure that learners at every level acquire the knowledge and skills expected of them,” she added.
The minister also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to reducing the number of out-of-school children through coordinated interventions involving relevant education agencies.
She revealed that a new programme targeted at reintegrating at least 5,000 out-of-school children into formal education would soon be implemented in Jigawa State.
According to her, the programme will provide remedial classes for children who have either dropped out of school or never enrolled, enabling them to acquire the required academic foundation before joining conventional classrooms alongside their peers.
“We are adopting a holistic approach by bringing together all agencies working on out-of-school children. The objective is to ensure that every Nigerian child has access to inclusive and quality education,” she said.
Professor Ahmad also commended state governments for increasing investment in education, noting that many states have significantly improved their budgetary allocations to the sector.
She urged state governments to complement federal initiatives by implementing programmes that would further reduce the number of out-of-school children and improve access to quality education.
The minister clarified that the National Learning Assessment is not restricted to public schools, explaining that both public and private schools are participating based on a nationally developed sampling framework.
“The schools selected for the assessment include both public and private institutions. The selection was done scientifically through a sampling framework. Although I visited government schools today, private schools are equally participating in the exercise,” she said.
