NECO releases Nov/Dec results

• Candidates record improved performance

WITH 52.94 percent credit pass in English Language and 55.37 percent credit pass in Mathematics, candidates at the November/December 2014 National Examinations Council (NECO), which results have just been released, made a significant improvement compared to previous examinations conducted by the body.

   The NECO Registrar and the Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Promise Nwackukwu Okpala, while announcing the results Wednesday at the council’s national headquarters in Minna, Niger State, noted that the results were better than the previous exams conducted since 2011.

   Okpala said that 63,445 candidates registered for the examinations, out of which 61,386 actually sat for the examinations, while 30.57 per cent recorded five credits and above in both English and Mathematic.

   An analysis of other core subjects shows that 53,848 sat for Biology with 26,947 credits (50.04 per cent), Chemistry had 28,250 candidates with 14,8585 credits (51.62 per cent), and 28,222 sat for Physics with 57 credits (0.20 per cent).

   Also, 1,753 sat for Further Mathematics with 395 credits (22.53 per cent), while Agricultural Science has 41,080 candidates with 12,006 credits (29.22 per cent).

   According to Okpala, an analysis of the malpractices showed that 620 cases were recorded during the examination, an increase in NECO exams. He therefore urged students to shun all forms of examination malpractices, adding that the council has consistently made attempts to eradicate malpractices.

   The registrar, while expressing satisfaction at the improvement by candidates, noted that the trend indicated that efforts by President Goodluck Jonathan and all other stakeholders in the education sector to improve the quality of teaching and learning in secondary schools were yielding positive results.

   To that end, he called on all Nigerians to support such laudable efforts and ensure high quality teaching-learning process in schools, the ultimate aim of which, he said, is to actualize the educational aspects of President Jonathan’s the transformation agenda. According to him, the role of promoting quality education through the conduct of selection and certification examination is a mission within the core mandate of NECO.

   “To this end, we have steadily improved the quality of various stages of the council’s examinations, from pre-examination to the release of result, in order to check examinations malpractices, which pose serious challenge to quality examination delivery in Nigeria,” he said

   Okpala expressed gratitude to newsmen for their partnership and unflinching support towards promoting quality education in the country.