By Edith Igbokwe
Poor performance of prospective beneficiaries in a screening test for a scheme to sponsor candidates for the forthcoming General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level in Oshodi-Isolo LGA is giving the organisers serious concern.
The organisers of the programme pegged the pass mark at 70 for the 50 applicants.
However, only two scored 70 while 21 others scored 50 marks and above, making 23 students who have qualified for the free forms.
The abysmal performance of the students has forced the organisers to reduce the pass marks to 50.
The two students who scored above 70 are Kehinde Lawal, an SS2 going to SS3 student of Oshodi Comprehensive High school, who scored 77, and Boluwatife Alagbe, a 2019 SS3 graduate of Ikeja Senior College, who scored 72 marks.
Speaking with ECHONEWS, Lawal, who aspires to study Medicine, promised to make judicious use of the opportunity by studying harder to pass the General examination and gain admission into a University immediately after his secondary school.
He was over joyous for coming out the overall best in the test, saying his performance has raised his hope of becoming a medical doctor.
In the same vein, Alagbe also promised to make use of the opportunity to turn her dream of studying Economics at OAU into reality by making her result from the GCE.
Alagbe said she could not gain admission into a higher institution because she made her result in two sittings but she needs it in one sitting.
She expressed her determination to put all efforts into the examination to make her result this time in one sitting.
Commenting on the students’ performances, the coordinator of the programme, Engr. Olusola Dahunsi appealed to political leaders to buy into the idea of conducting tests before giving out academic awards such as GCE/JAMB forms and other scholarships.
He explained that such tests would always allow the right students to have the awards instead of getting into the wrong hands who would mess up the opportunities.
He informed that 23 beneficiaries would get the GCE forms, but then the beneficiaries will be increased if there are more GCE forms from donors to encourage more participation next time.
