OWERRI, NIGERIA- The Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri has conducted Proficiency Test for 930 teachers drawn from 34 schools owned by the Archdiocese. The maiden test which took place on Thursday June 14, 2018, covered only post primary schools.
Briefing our reporter shortly after the exercise, the Director of Education, Owerri Archdiocese, Rev. Fr. Victor Eleba said the more than 100 primary schools in the Archdiocese will take their turn subsequently.
Fr. Eleba said the objective of the programme, amidst others, is to ensure the quality of teaching and learning in Catholic Schools.
In his own remarks, Rev. Fr. Dr. Moses Chikwe of the Education Secretariat, told The Leader that the exam which took place simultaneously in all the schools was successful, though the commission was still looking at the report from the examiners.
Other benefits of the test, according to Fr. Chikwe, was to challenge the teachers to update their knowledge and skills and find new ways of doing old things. He said the outcome of the test would determine how often the exercise would be conducted.
Fr. Chikwe, who is one of the principal facilitators noted that of the 44 secondary schools in the Archdiocese, 34 participated in the proficiency test. He said that of the 33 subjects in the syllabus 28 were chosen after some subjects were merged. He pointed out some of the logistic responses the education secretariat undertook for the success of the examination including adequate preparation.
On his part, Rev. Fr. Lucien Amadiobi, Director of ICT, said that the test consisted of three parts: General Knowledge , Principles of Teaching/Learning and the Teacher’s Subject Area. Fr. Amadiobi said the exam was as professional as possible, coming in multi choice mode but covered very many areas of the three parts.
Earlier, while addressing a cross section of education commission members, facilitators as well as the team of exam organizers at Obiri Odenigbo, Maria Assumpta Cathedral Owerri Thursday June 7, 2018, the Chairman Owerri Archdiocesan Education Commission, Nneoma Chief Mrs. Theresa Okonkwo said that the test was a response to the demand by His Grace Most Rev Anthony J. V. Obinna, the proprietor of schools in Owerri Archdiocese.
She recalled that during the education week held in February this year, the Archbishop drawing from the theme
“Promoting Excellence in Education and Fighting Corruption in Imo Schools, Mission, State, Private” enjoined the
education commission to put modalities in place to begin the promotion of excellence from the quality of teachers.
She called on all the schools to take the exercise seriously.