Candidates' Weakness

Candidates were unable to:

• suggest possible solutions to the problems of agricultural development such as inadequate land, inadequate finance and incidence of diseases;
• - give reasons why farm machines should be maintained;
• - explain how population pressure, mining and topography affect land availability for agriculture;
• - state the reasons for parboiling paddy rice;
• - state the advantages and disadvantages of taungya farming;
• - explain the systems of mating in livestock management;
• - draw and label the digestive tract of a hen;
• - define agricultural insurance;
• - explain different types of insurance policies for agricultural production such as         

 specific enterprise insurance, fire insurance and life assurance.

Based on the observed weaknesses the Chief Examiners recommended as follow:

• Aspects of the syllabus such as farm mechanization/Agricultural engineering,  crop and animal production, agricultural economics amongst others should be covered by teachers with particular emphasis on the new areas of the syllabus;
• Teachers should teach the students with appropriate diagrams where necessary;
• Teachers should emphasize the acquisition of practical skills in the subject; and
• Only graduates of Agricultural Science/Agriculture should be allowed to teach the subject in Senior Secondary Schools in West Africa.