Stress, anxiety ‘responsible’ for students’ exams failure

Terhile Uchi, executive secretary of Benue Examination Board, has identified stress and anxiety as some of the major factors impeding students’ success in examinations.

Uchi told NAN on Saturday in Makurdi that most students “already get tensed up before the commencement of examinations and that affects their memory retention”.

He said plans were underway to tackle such factors as the board planned to “make examination less stressful by making students more relaxed during examinations”.

He explained that the board had planned to sensitise students and school managers to stress reduction mechanisms for improved examination performances by students in the state.

“Teachers, supervisors and school managers will be made to create a conducive atmosphere for students to be relaxed before taking their examinations,” the executive secretary said.

“We will make them know that examinations are not the end in themselves but merely means to an end.

“We will also let them know the value of early preparation for examinations as a mechanism for stress reduction in the examination.

“We will educate students on examination ethics to enable them to prepare well ahead of examinations.”

He said when students prepared poorly for examinations, they resorted to other means of passing such examinations.

He, however, commended schools in the state for their relentless efforts at curbing malpractices during examinations.

Uchi said there was a remarkable improvement in the conduct of examinations across the state, adding that so far, no school in the state had been blacklisted by the supervising authorities.

He also said that there was an appreciable improvement in the performance of students in the Junior WAEC examination between 2015 and 2016, but did not give figures.