The West African Examinations Council, WAEC, has recognized the decision of the Nigerian government to stop final year students from writing the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Recall that the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, on Wednesday announced that SS 3 students in the country would not participate in the forthcoming examination.
He told State House Correspondents shortly after the week’s virtual Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting that the reason for the action was to keep the students from being exposed to COVID-19.
But in an interview on Thursday, WAEC’s Head of Nigeria’s Office, Patrick Areghan, said the exam body respects the decision of the government, saying it is within the legitimate power of governments of the five-member countries to make such decisions.
Areghan said the examination body was still reviewing the situation and that it would update the public as soon as final decisions are taken.
He said he could not speak on whether the examinations would continue in the other four countries or not until the “coast is clear.”
He said; “We cannot make any categorical statement for now. We are operating in five-member countries and we cooperate with the government. We recognise the fact that the government has the right and power to take positions, and we cannot confront the government. We work hand in hand with the government.”
I want to ask that, is it true that we are going to write our final examinations in this new normal time. Please, looking at the way the virus is trending, I don’t think writing exams is good at this time. Please take our health conditions first before anything else, please.