Parents of pupils who sat the recent common entrance examination for secondary schools in Ekiti State have called on Governor Biodun Oyebanji to probe the state Ministry of Education, accusing it of mishandling the conduct of the exercise.
The aggrieved parents specifically urged Oyebanji to establish a panel of inquiry to investigate what they described as “the questionable mass failure in the examination.” They also demanded an audit and re-marking of the pupils’ answer scripts.
The mass failure in the exam, held on July 1 and July 3, and the long delay in releasing the results, is causing tension in public and private primary schools, with parents expressing frustration over the alleged poor handling of the process.
The issue dominated discussions in public and private schools in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, and nearby towns visited by our correspondent on Wednesday, as parents prepared to confront the ministry over the alleged exam debacle.
Some of the irate parents threatened to stage a public protest at the Ministry of Education if no solution is found, stating that the future of their children is at stake.
The release of the results on Tuesday, September 17, the day public and private schools resumed, left parents and their children outraged. They questioned why the ministry had failed to release the results before the resumption date.
Common entrance candidates who selected public schools were left in limbo, not knowing their scores before the official resumption date, with many still at home and their future uncertain.
Our correspondent also learned that the common entrance certificates were withdrawn due to a spelling error on the certificates awarded to those with distinction grades. The word “DISTINCTION” had been misspelled on the certificates.
The error also led to the withholding of certificates for other pupils who did not achieve distinction, and the release date for the corrected certificates remains unknown.
A concerned parent, Mr Sanya Ibuoye, criticised the state Ministry of Education for its alleged incompetence, accusing it of playing with the future of the innocent pupils. He called for an immediate investigation into the “unacceptable scandal” involving ministry officials.
Another parent, Mrs Iyanuoluwa Ayegbusi, called on Governor Oyebanji to establish a panel to thoroughly investigate the alleged mismanagement of the common entrance exam and demanded an audit of all the answer scripts.
Mrs Ayegbusi also called for the scripts to be re-marked by independent and competent officials, adding that any officials found responsible should be punished in accordance with the relevant regulations.
She warned that the alleged incompetence of ministry officials could undermine the Governor’s efforts to maintain Ekiti’s prominence in education.
“At first, we were shocked that the results, which should have been released earlier to inform the pupils of their placements, were only made available on the resumption day, leaving those who chose public schools in a state of confusion.
“To make matters worse, the mass failure in the exam is unacceptable. At my child’s school, they usually ask the pupils to tick the answers they chose on their question papers, which are then reviewed during revision. This allows each pupil to know their score in the five subjects.
“My child cannot score zero in any subject. I reject the purported result released by the ministry. We, the parents, are calling on Governor Oyebanji to establish a panel of inquiry to investigate the mishandling of this exam. We also demand an audit of the answer scripts and their re-marking by independent and competent examiners, as many parents are complaining about this mass failure.”
Another parent, who requested anonymity, criticised the Ekiti Ministry of Education for repeated errors and professional misconduct, noting that his daughter’s common entrance certificate, despite her now being in JSS 3, has yet to be released.
In her response, the Commissioner for Education, Dr Olabimpe Aderiye, promised to look into the parents’ complaints and address them promptly, providing full feedback on the matter.
Dr Aderiye advised parents whose children did not meet the cut-off mark to formally write to the ministry, requesting placements in available schools for those affected pupils.
She explained, “The issue is about the capacity of candidates’ chosen schools and the respective cut-off marks.
“Placement of pupils from public schools is prioritised due to their limited opportunities. However, there are spaces available in some schools, such as the newly established Model College, Ado Road, Ikere.
“Parents whose children passed but did not meet the cut-off mark for their preferred school should write to the Ministry of Education. They will be provided with a list of schools that have available spaces. I will investigate further and get back to you.”
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