* It’s one of our coordination efforts for schools: President
* if pupils perform well in LEC, they can do better with other exams, Says
Coordinator
The National President of the League of Muslim School Proprietors (LEAMSP), Abdul Waheed Obalakun, has expressed satisfaction with the conduct of pupils and the performance of the officials during the 2024 LEAMSP Examination Council (LEC).
The President, who inspected select centres in Lagos State on Saturday, March 2, 2024, when the exam was held, noted that the examination is one of their coordination efforts for member schools.
Lagos has eight centres in Mushin, Shomolu, Surulere, Ojo, Badagry, Epe, Eti-Osa and Ikorodu.
Muslim News gathered over 5000 primary 6 pupils took part in the examinations simultaneously held in Lagos and four other LEAMSP participating States including Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, Osun and Lagos.
Our Correspondent who was part of the media monitoring team learnt that the examination had two parts. Paper 1 comprises Mathematics, Quantitative Reasoning and Islamic Studies; and Paper 2 English, Verbal Reasoning and General Studies (General Studies includes all other subjects such as Basic Science, Food and Nutrition, Home Economics, Computer, Basic Technology, among others).
During his visit to CMS Primary School, Bariga, Shomolu Government Centre, the National President told Muslim News that the examination is a measure of standard for schools, adding no compromise or malpractice is entertained.
“Our body LEAMSP was established to coordinate the activities of proprietors of Muslim schools. The exam we are having today is one of our coordination efforts for our schools. We call it the LEAMSP Examination Council (LEC). We put it forward as a measure of standard for our schools, to monitor the level of compliance of our schools with the national curriculum,” he said.
“We’ve always been doing good. Alhamdulilah, this year is no different. What is certain about our exam is that it is a full measure of our students. We ensure there is no compromise, no matter how little from our invigilators and the rest. We have been doing this over the years, and we are getting better.”
He explained that most member schools adopt the LEC as an entrance examination into their secondary level, setting various percentages for qualification.
Acknowledging that some students may seek to attend public secondary schools, the LEAMSP National President noted it would also serve as some sort of mock examination to prepare them for the national common entrance examination.
“Our member schools that have secondary level use this exam as their entrance exam. Once a student participates in the exam, passes and meets up with the required percentage (each school sets its percentage), he is admitted.
“On the other hand, for our students who are going to attend a public secondary school, it serves as a mock exam for them. We have deliberately set it at a period where all other entrance examinations come after it. So, schools also use it to prepare their students for the national common entrance examination and others.
“As a proprietor body, we relate with government in every state we exist. In all these states, the Ministry of Education is well acquainted with our programmes and activities. At times, they participate with us. For this exam, there are states where the Directors of Quality Assurance promised to come to our centres for inspection. In some other states, ministry officials also come to see what we are doing. So, we have a very good and cordial relationship with the education ministries in all states that we exist.”
Alhaji Obalakun charged the students to maintain the standard they have been exposed to by shunning examination malpractice and compromise in future examinations.
“I advise the students to keep the standard. Examination malpractice is a major problem in Nigeria. So, if the students have been trained to depend on themselves and eschew examination malpractice, I feel they should maintain the training and keep it up. They should not at any time indulge in examination malpractice wherever they find themselves since it is not part of their foundation.”
For his part, the Coordinator of Mushin/Oshodi-Isolo who was at Idi-Araba Centre during the LEC exam, Mr. Ibrahim Adebiyi, said students who can ace the LEAMSP examination would do well in similar examinations including the national common entrance examination and military school entrance examination.
“The purpose of this exam is to test the students. If any student can score a good grade in this exam, he or she should be one of the best candidates in the national common entrance examination. We set a very high standard in our questions,” Adebiyi noted.
The Coordinator advised students who would be participating in the examination in the future to study the past questions very well, as it would help them score a good grade.
“Students should study past questions of LEC. You will see the standard of the questions. If you are well prepared, you will ace the exam.
“A school told me they use the LEC exam as part of recruitment interviews for teachers. That shows the standard of the questions. So any school that performs very well here has a high standard.”
Mr. Adebiyi re-echoed the point of the National President that the body does not tolerate malpractice.
He said, “The true picture of the school is what comes out as results. No examination malpractice at all.”
