By Austin Ogwuda
ASABA—DELTA State Government has abolished automatic promotion in schools in the state. State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mrs. Juliet Agoba,  who made the announcement, said that promotion of pupils and students to higher classes would henceforth be determined by the outcome of relevant promotion examinations.

The Commissioner,  who monitored the cognitive/placement examination for primary six pupils, conducted at various centres  in the state said  “the mass promotion of pupils and students to the next classes,  whether the pupils and students passed or not has been responsible for the falling standard of their performances in public examinations.”

She pointed out that promoting students at random was not helping them, adding that when the pupils and students become aware that without passing the examinations,  they would not be promoted to the next class, they will sit up and study hard.