Ibadan — Worried by the disturbing national average performance of students in the public examinations in recent times, the Commissioner of Education in Oyo State, Professor Taoheed Adedoja, has advocated the declaration of emergency in the nation's education sector, saying this will pave way for the needed reforms in the sector.

"If we cannot declare a state of emergency in the power sector, then, we ought to declare a state of emergency in education sector," Professor Adedoja stated at a news conference in Ibadan last Friday.

Having reviewed the outcome of the recent examinations conducted nationwide for senior secondary schools and technical colleges leavers by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examinations Council (NECO) and National Board for Technical Education Board (NABTEB), Prof. Adedoja, who doubled as a member of the Board of NECO, described the results as "national disaster" in view of the average abysmal performance of the students.

Commenting on the average performance of students from the states in the South-West zone of the country where only 20 per cent of the candidates scored five credits and above including English Language and Mathematics in the three public examinations conducted between April and July, Professor Adedoja said: "If the trend is not checked, it holds grave implications for the private and the public sector with attendant social, economic and political consequences for the nation in general."