The Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, has assured that the National Standardized Test (NST) is not designed to fail pupils but to identify learning gaps and provide the needed support to improve academic outcomes.
Dr. Apaak, who doubles as the Member of Parliament for Builsa South, clarified this when he visited selected basic schools in the Awutu Senya East Municipality of the Central Region to monitor the conduct of the assessment.
The schools visited included Nahadatu Islamic Basic School at Ofaakor, Akwale St. Mary’s Anglican Cluster of Schools, and Ofaakor Municipal Assembly Basic School. The District Education Director, Frank Etrue-Hayford, and other education officials accompanied him.
Addressing Primary Four pupils before the commencement of the test, Dr. Apaak explained that the assessment would help teachers, the Ghana Education Service (GES), and the Ministry of Education understand pupils’ strengths and areas requiring improvement.
“This exam is not about pass or fail. It is to help your teacher, to help us at GES and the Ministry understand how well you are doing in terms of the expectations for your standard Primary Four,” he said.
According to him, the results would provide evidence to guide targeted interventions for pupils who may require additional academic support.
He stressed that pupils who are identified as needing extra assistance would not be made to repeat their classes but would instead receive tailored support from their teachers to help them meet the expected learning standards.
“Unlike the past, we are not going to say you should be repeated. Your teacher will identify those of you who need additional help, and then that additional help will be offered to you so that you will reach the level that has been set for Primary Four,” Dr. Apaak explained.
The Deputy Minister also encouraged the pupils to remain calm and confident during the examination, assuring them that their preparation by teachers had equipped them to perform well.
He further urged them to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, noting that their abilities would be important in shaping Ghana’s future.
The National Standardized Test is administered by the Ministry of Education, GES, and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) to assess foundational skills in literacy and numeracy.
The assessment covers pupils in KG2, Primary Two, Primary Four, and Primary Six, with the goal of identifying learning challenges early and improving teaching and learning outcomes across the country.
Source: bolgafmonlin.com |1012.7 MHz| Accra
