WASSCE: CALL MEETING OF WEST AFRICAN NATIONS, WAEC – AFENIFENIFERE TELLS FG

The Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Thursday advised the federal government to urgently call a meeting of West African countries, and the regional examination body, the West African Examination Council (WAEC), over the impasse on 2020 West African Senior School Certification Examination (WASSCE).

The group said instead of denying the students a complete session, the examination can be managed in a way that the health of the students would not be compromised.

National Publicity Secretary of the group, Mr. Yinka Odumakin spoke against the backdrop of the decision of the federal government to reverse the reopening of schools.

It would be recalled that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, had announced the reopening of schools for students preparing for primary 6, JSS 3 and SSS 3 examinations.

On the basis of the announcement, the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, on Monday, announced that the WASSCE would hold from August 3rd to 5th September 2020.

But on Wednesday, the Minister of Education, Mall. Adamu Adamu issued a counter directive, saying schools would no longer reopen and that the WASSCE could not hold for now.

But Afenifere was furious that the counter directive by the education minister was “yet another reason to know that we are burdened with a disintegrated government in Nigeria.”

Afenifere said since August 3rd is still a bit far, “Nigeria should call a meeting of the West African countries involved and WAEC to manage the examinations in the interest of the students without compromising their health.

“This is how the government should run to show it cares for the public. The way our officials conduct themselves is becoming just too shameful.

“We advise Mr President to manage his men so that our students are not made to lose a session to the ego fights of our officials,” Odumakin said in the statement.

Afenifere stated that it was not comprehensible “That the PTF would go and announce that schools should go and resume without consultation with the ministry of education, and that the minister will come on TV and be stamping his feet ‘nobody will tell us when we are to  open until we are ready,’ if we have an integrated government.”

WAEC 2020: FG CANCELS EXAMINATIONS, DECLARES ‘NO RESUMPTION’ FOR SCHOOLS SOON

Wednesday, 8 July 2020, 7:50

The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, has disclosed on Wednesday that West African Examination Council (WAEC) examinations for this year, 2020 has been cancelled.

 

The Minister also disclosed that he advises all States that has reopened schools to close them, adding that there is no resumption date for schools and he would prefer students losing one academic year than exposing them to the pandemic disease.

 

The Federal Ministry of Education has said Nigerian secondary final year students will not be participating in the upcoming West African Examination Council (WAEC) 2020 examinations.

 

The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who disclosed this to State House Correspondents on Wednesday after the seventh weekly virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, also said there is no date for resumption of schools in the country yet.

He said he would prefer that Nigerian students lose an academic year than to expose them to dangers, appealing to state governments that had announced reopening of schools to reconsider their decision for the sake of the students’ safety.

 

Speaking on the effect the decision to keep schools closed could have on final year secondary school students, due to write the WAEC, Adamu said Nigeria would not open the schools yet, not even for the WAEC this year 2020, which is a regionally control programme.

He, however debunked an earlier report, which claimed that the Minister of State for Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, announced August 4, 2020, as resumption date for schools, saying the Minister was misquoted.

“I don’t know whether you journalists are misquoting the Minister of State for Education or maybe quoting what WAEC said and made it into a story. Schools under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Education will not be opened on August 4 or anytime soon.

“Our schools will only open when we believe it’s safe for our children and that is when the situation is right, not when the incidence of the infection is going up in the nation. I just want to make it clear.

“We will not open soon for examination or for any reason, unless it is safe for our children, even WAEC. WAEC will not determine for us what we do. Schools will remain closed.

“Yesterday we called on stakeholders who will tell us the situation and the way it should be done for it to be safe. While the meeting was going on, WAEC announced that they are starting examinations. Let’s see who they are going to start with.

“I will also like to use this position to ask those states that have already announced (reopening), I appeal to them. I think it is not safe. I feel responsible for all children, not just those who are in federal government controlled schools. Please let’s save our children from this.

“One infected child is enough to infect a whole class. When they close from class they go into the dormitory, this is not the right time to open schools. I appeal to the states that have already announced to reconsider it”, he said.

When asked if Nigeria will be the only country to miss out of the 2020 WAEC examinations, he said “me as Minister of Education, if I’m given the chance, I don’t mind Nigeria losing a whole school year than exposing our children to danger. WAEC is a parastatal of the Ministry of Education, they cannot determine for the government what it does”, he said.