Thousands of Lagos pupils who sat for the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) are now at the centre of a process aimed at ensuring that their performance is fairly assessed, as the Lagos State Examinations Board begins determining the appropriate grade boundaries for the examination.
The Registrar of the Lagos State Examinations Board, Mr. Adebayo Orunsolu, has urged members of the 2026 BECE Award Committee to make fairness, objectivity, equity and integrity the guiding principles in determining the benchmarks and cut-off points for candidates.
Orunsolu gave the charge while declaring open the 2026 BECE Award Meeting at the Conference Room of the Lagos State Examinations Board, where education officials and examination experts reviewed candidatesā performances and considered appropriate grade boundaries for each subject.
He reminded members that their decisions would go beyond numbers and statistics, stressing that the outcome of the exercise could influence the educational progression of thousands of young learners across Lagos State.
The Registrar, who is also Chairman of the Award Committee, therefore urged members to allow candidatesā actual performances, alongside established educational standards, to guide their deliberations.
He called for professionalism and consistency in the process, noting that every candidate deserved an assessment that accurately reflected his or her performance.
āEvery decision taken here has an impact on the future of our children,ā Orunsolu stressed, as he urged members to balance the need to maintain educational standards with the principle of fairness to candidates.
The meeting brought together representatives of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Directors of Schools Administration from the six Education Districts, Chief Examiners for the various subjects, officials of the Lagos State Examinations Board and other stakeholders involved in the administration and assessment of the BECE.
Also speaking, the Director-General, Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA), Dr. Sulaimon Ogunmuyiwa, explained that the meeting was convened to determine the grades to be awarded to candidates based on their performances in individual subjects.
He said the committee would examine each subject separately, analyse candidatesā performance and pass rates, and use the findings to establish appropriate grade boundaries.
Ogunmuyiwa said the exercise was consistent with the Lagos State Governmentās commitment to ensuring that no child is left behind, with the interest, inclusion and educational progression of every learner remaining a priority.
He assured that the committee would adopt a careful and considerate approach to ensure that the final assessment produced credible and equitable outcomes for candidates across the state.
The Director of Basic Education Services, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Ruth Oyedele, said the committee would undertake a detailed review of candidatesā scores before arriving at the appropriate benchmark for each subject.
According to her, members would study the distribution of scores to identify candidates who performed excellently, those whose results were around the average range and those whose performances fell below expectations.
She added that the highest and lowest scores recorded in the different subjects would also form part of the factors considered in determining the grade boundaries.
Oyedele said the approach was necessary to ensure that candidates who sat for the 2026 BECE were treated fairly and consistently.
Orunsolu also commended the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mrs. Abisola Dokunmu-Adegbite, for her support in strengthening credible examination and assessment standards in Lagos State.
He equally appreciated private school proprietors, Chief Examiners, Education District officials, Directors, staff of the Lagos State Examinations Board and other stakeholders for their continued partnership in promoting quality education.
For the pupils who wrote the examination, the award meeting represents an important stage between sitting for the BECE and receiving results that could shape their next step in education.
The Lagos State Government says the process is part of its broader effort to strengthen transparency, credibility and fairness in public examinations while ensuring that candidatesā academic efforts are properly recognised.
