An analysis of the National Primary School Examination results for 2009 proves that 74.4% pupils passed the examination which is a total of 74,970 candidates’ nationwide.
The analysis also shows that 102,208 candidates entered for the examination as against 103,927 that entered in 2008.
Out of that figure, 100,770 candidates sat to the examination making it less than the 100,834 of 2008.
The 74.4% passes is a slight increase over the 74.1% of 2008 and the 73% of 2007 and 2006 indicating that the pupils did better this year than the previous years, more so for 2008 when the candidates’ entry and those that sat was higher.
The analysis also indicate that there is an improvement in the percentage of pupils passing the exams in the East and South whilst the pupils in the North and West though performing admirably have to be at par with the other pupils in the other regions. In 2008, there was 78.0% passes in the Eastern Region and in this year, 80.2% passed. In the North, 73.1% passed last year as against the 72.4% that passed. For the South, 69.1% passed whilst 72.8% passing this year and 75.5% in the West passed last year as against the 72.9% passing this year.
According to the overall percentage passes by region, the boys did better than the girls but however, the percentage of girls passing in the East surpassed that of the boys in the North, South and the West.
In the East, 12,489 boys sat and 10,254 passed which is 82.1% passes while 10,592 sat to the exams and 8,264 passing which is 78.0%. In the North, 19,960 boys sat to the exams but 14,696 passed which is 73.6% passes while 14,679 girls sat with 10,381 passing which is 70.7% passes. 8,655 boys in the South sat to the exams for which 6,493 passed which is a total of 75.0% and for the girls, 7,230 sat to the exams with 5,075 passing making it a total of 70.2%. For the Western Area, 13,187 boys sat but 9,784 passed which is 74.2% passes. 13,978 girls also took the exams but 10,023 passed which is a total of 71.7%.
A pupil from the International Primary School Roland Lewis was the top candidate with an aggregate of 369. Godfrella Janet-George from Fourah Bay College Primary School was second with 368 and Rosamond Fofanah from Zadet Preparatory School, Newsite Kissy scored 366. Yirah B. Kargbo from Modern Preparatory School Makeni tops the Northern region with 349 aggregate, Kemah-Yatta Mbogba from the June Hartranft School, Moyamba was the top pupil for the South with an aggregate of 346 and Sao Harrison Amara from the Dorr International School, Kenema tops the East with an aggregate of 344.
International Primary School tops the Schools nationwide based on best average of aggregates, Comforti Primary School, Calaba Town is second with Zadet Pre- School, Kissy coming third. S.O.S, Caleb Pre School, Mess Mess, Modern Pre. School, Makeni, Martile International, Hill station, Aunty Mems Pre. School, John F. Kennedy and Murray Deen are all in the top ten Schools.
By Ishmael Bayoh