Date: 2016-04-18

No fewer than 2, 000 candidates across Kwara State at the weekend sat for the the 2016 Mock Examination conducted by the state government for Arabic schools.

The Examination which was held simultaneously in Ilorin, Lafiagi, Tsaragi, Jebba, Oke Onigbin and Osi was meant for the final year students in Arabic schools in the state.

Speaking with journalists at the Ilorin centre of the examination, the Chairman of the State Arabic Board, Dr Abdulkadir Salman Oba-Solagberu, noted that the examination was a major criteria for the students to be eligible for government sponsorship of the National Board for Arabic Examination which holds in June this year.

It would be recalled that the federal government had in 2013 approved the NBAIS examination to be an equivalent of WAEC and NECO for students of Arabic schools across the country and the Kuala state government sponsored 400 students in 2015 and pledged to sponsor 800 candidates this year.

He also expressed satisfaction with the way the examination was conducted across the state and disclosed that the results would be released next week.

According to him, The significance of the examination was to access the students particularly in developing learning and teaching of Arabic language. We urged all and sundry to key into the activities of the board."

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Hajia Mariam Garba said the ministry is playing its oversight function by monitoring ways and methods examinations are conducted in the state.

She applauded the Board for conducting the examination without rigour and all forms of examination malpractices, pledging the support of the ministry to the Board in the bid to record success in all its activities.

Meanwhile, the Director Curriculum and Assessment in the Ministry, Alhaji Ahmed Abubakar said the state government is determined to improve academic performance of students to ensure that quality is achieved.

He cautioned students against any form of examination malpractices and indulging in immoral acts that would affect their learning process.

The Head of Arabic Department at the Kwara State University, Malete, Dr. Moshood Jimba, described Arabic as an international language which is recognised at global fora such as United Nations, Africa Union, OPEC and others.

Dr Jimba noted that it is erroneous to affirm that Arabic is meant for Muslims alone, pointing out that it should be treated as a global language like English and French among other languages.