A total of 895,685 primary school pupils have participated in the 2024 edition of the National Standardized Test across the country.
Out of the number 542,418 of them are in primary four while the remaining 353,267 are in primary six.
The NST which started in 2021 tests the pupils in literacy and numeracy to ascertain their level of understanding and identify their specific weaknesses for the necessary remedial measures and interventions lessons put in place to rectify such a challenge.
Addressing the media in Accra on Tuesday, the Deputy Minister for Education, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, explained that the test was not to identify which school is the best but rather to gather data on the performance of primary school pupils in literacy and numeracy.
He stated that the data collected after the NST helps in determining which schools, districts and regions need support most so that the teachers are offered the requisite training to help improve their performances.
Rev. Ntim Fordjour disclosed this to the media after monitoring the ongoing NST centre at the Flagstar House Basic School in Accra on Tuesday.
He recounted the government’s efforts to improve learning outcomes in schools across the country through the introduction of various interventions.
The Deputy Minister commended teachers in the country for their dedication and commitment towards improving the development of education in the country.
Again, he was full of praise to all stakeholders who play various roles to complement the government’s drive towards the transformation of the nation’s economy through education development.
Rev. Ntim Fordjour, said, “In 2015 when the pupils were tested in Early Grade in Basic Two learners across the country, only two per cent of our pupils were able to read at that grade level”.
“It is based on this that the Education Ministry through the instrumentality of the Education Minister, Dr Adutwum introduced various interventions such as play-based pedagogies among early child learners and Phonics-based approaches leading to improved learning outcomes”. He added.
The Deputy Minister revealed that those efforts paid off in 2023 as it recorded a 38 per cent improvement in primary two reading skills while the primary four also increased to 54 per cent in proficiency.
He was upbeat that with the numerous interventions coupled with the provision of adequate teaching and learning resources, this year’s results might increase as a lot of work was being done to attain at least 90 per cent proficiency among all pupils across the country soon.
The Greater Accra Regional Director of Education, Mr Stephen Abamfo, assured the Minister of the prudent measures that had been put in place towards preparing the pupils for the examination.
He announced that a total of 54,746 pupils from the Greater Accra region were participating in the test in all the 29 Municipal, Metropolitan and District Assemblies in the region.