Kumasi,- A total of 9,076 pupils in the Kumasi Metropolis have been presented to take the National Standardized Test for Primary four.

Ninety (96) primary schools are taking the examinations in 18 centers.

Mr David Oppong, Kumasi Metro Director of Education told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi, that the examinations were successful with very few hitches.

He said the only challenge encountered was the delay in releasing the questions to the various centers.

This made some of the centers start at the stipulated time while others began minutes later.

Mr Oppong explaining the purpose of the test, indicated that it was not for grading but to identify the difficulties and problems the children had in literacy (English language) and numeracy (mathematics).

This, according to him, would help the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to mop up strategies to deal with the challenges children encountered in these subjects.

Mr Oppong said the GES had identified the challenges of the examination, which was the first of its kind in the country, and would work to improve upon the process, procedures, and preparations in the coming years.

Next year, primaries two and six would sit for similar examinations as part of the new curriculum for primary schools.

He called on the general public to support and have confidence in the Ministry of Education and the GES to conduct the examinations.

Source: Ghana News Agency