Accurate measurement and evaluation of students’ performance and nation building

The paper is a theoretical study on the problem of inconsistency and prospect in measurement and evaluation of students’ performance in the foundation lying of nation building. The paper extolled the role of accurate measurement and evaluation of students’ performance in quality (or safety) assurance in nation building. Clarifying the role of measurement and evaluation in nation building was not farfetched since the concept of ‘building’ is synonymous with construction whose key element is measurement. The task of ‘construction’ is the responsibility of skilled workers who are trained through the process of education. The inputs and outputs in the training system go through measurement and evaluation process. The outcome of the process forms the basis for making accurate decisions and policies for training the manpower which is strategic to nation building. And above all, measurement and evaluation report forms the basis of selecting prospective workers in different capacities. The marking of essay test is a significant aspect of measurement and evaluation in education and the focus of this study. The study thus periscopes the search for marking method in literature, that would yield improved measurement and evaluation of students’ performance in essay tests. Giving all the merits and demerits of the different methods, the conclusion of this paper is that the segmented method of marking essay test with the requirement of pre marking training session for examiners and legible examinees’ handwriting has the best comparative advantage. This would improve the accuracy of students’ grade, which will in turn, make the decisions in education and recruitment exercises in the various establishments enhance the effectiveness in the building of the nation’s institutions.