Govt Orders Release Of FSLCs

The Ebonyi Government has directed the state Examination Development Centre to print and distribute within three months certificates due to more than 400,000 primary school leavers.

The Commissioner for Education, Chief Hyacinth Ikpor, gave the directive when he paid an official visit to the centre in Abakaliki.

The primary school leavers in the state have not received their First School Leaving Certificates since 2007.

Available statistics indicate that 467,790 pupils have taken the First School Leaving Certificate Examination since then.

A further breakdown indicates that the state recorded about 75 per cent increase in enrolment into primary schools within the period under review.

Analysts believe the increase may not be unconnected with the free and compulsory primary and secondary education policy of the state government.

Ikpor, accompanied on the visit by the Permanent Secretary in the education ministry, Dr Steven Igboke, expressed regret that the non-issuance of the certificates had portrayed the government in bad light.

He, therefore, directed that the certificates be released to the pupils before the end of March 2011.

The commissioner said the state government was committed to the educational development of the people and announced plans for a law that would make the centre autonomous and enhance its function in examination administration.

Mrs Victoria Nwankwo, the centre’s Registrar and Director of Examinations, attributed the non-issuance of the certificates to the lack of funds.