WASSCE: Teachers, parents in divergent views over performance of candidates…As allegation of leaked papers trails exam

After several months of anxious wait by parents, students, schools proprietors and other education stakeholders for the commencement of the much-awaited West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) 2020, the examination finally started on Monday, August 17. But the examination has been trailed with anxiety.

This year’s examination has 1,549, 463 candidates registered for the diet from 19,129 schools out of which 786,421 are males and 763,042 are females.

Since the examination commenced, parents and school owners have expressed great concerns over the likely performance of the students given the disruption of their studies occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic.

The stakeholders said that they feared that the unpreparedness of the pupils for the examination would hamper their success.

It was gathered also that as a result of the social distancing, which is being observed in the hall of examination, is already giving many of the candidates hard times. They are disappointed because their hope of cheating had been shattered.

Educationists say this year’s examination may be woeful, to say the least, considering that most public schools students, especially in rural areas, did not have the requisite opportunity for an online tutorial which many see as a huge disadvantage.

Omowunmi Owolabi, a concerned parent, said the two weeks period given for her son to prepare for the examination was too short, noting that it was unfair as her son and many other students hardly had time to cover up lost ground during the lockdown.

According to her, “Rushing students for this year’s examination may be counterproductive as mass failure looms due to the short time frame for adequate preparation”.

Owolabi further believed that the students should have been given adequate time to prepare for the examination, having stayed home for a very long time as a result of the pandemic.

On what her expectations are for the outcome of the examination, she said that the social distancing rule which has necessitated a new arrangement of seating six feet or two metres apart in the examination halls had added to the psychological blow to some candidates in the ongoing examination.

Michael Omodiagbe, another parent and a civil engineer, said the two weeks given for the preparation of the WASSCE examination was very ill-thought as it may have just exposed candidates in most public schools to engage in examination malpractices.

Omodiagbe, “Having spent months at home due to Covid-19, many students, especially in rural areas who have not engaged in any form of an online tutorial, must have forgotten what they learnt in school. It will be a huge wonder about how they will cope.”

He further said that the outcome from this year’s WASSCE would further deepen the gulf between public and private schools as private schools that understand how to apply the effective use of online teaching during the period of school closure have used such to prepare their pupils.

The finding shows that for the candidates, it was a mixed bag of reactions. While some, especially those in private school, expressed confidence in their readiness, the same cannot be said of others who have already resigned to their fate concerning the examination currently ongoing and the likely result they hope to post.

Chijioke Eze, a student writing the examination at Landmark Senior Seconding School in Lagos, said the long months of lockdown afforded him and his friends the needed opportunity to prepare for the examination.

Eze, who engaged in online teaching and learning, is very optimistic of scoring a good grade in the examination.

On the social distancing rule, the commercial student who would like to study accounting at the University of Benin noted that by studying hard and preparing effectively, he is not bothered about such sitting arrangement as it will only help him concentrate more.

The confidence of Eze was also shared by Beatrice Eboh, a science student who noted that with the level of preparation put in by her teachers during the two-week revision, it would surely yield good results.

On the sitting arrangement, Eboh said this is good because it promotes high-level concentration during the examination and confidence.

The sentiment of Eboh and Eze concerning the WAASCE was not, however, shared by Basil Egbe, a student who blatantly told our correspondent that he was not ready for the examination, blaming shortness of time to read.

Egbe said his inability to gain access to a mobile phone with data prevented him from participating in any form of online tutorial during the long period of lockdown.

He further said the only option open to him before which was to copy from his fellow student have been truncated because of the social distancing rule.

“My problem in this examination is the way social distancing is being enforced and because of this, I who was hoping to seek assistance from my friends cannot achieve that now,” Egbe lamented.

Joseph Edet, another student, said he would have loved if the period of preparation was one month, not the just two weeks as experienced for this examination.

Edet, who is pained that he didn’t attend online teachings because he couldn’t get a smartphone coupled with the various distractions he faced at home, said it would only take the grace of God for him to pass the examination

While parents were anxious about the performance of pupils, the same cannot be said of some teachers and owners of private school as those who said they were optimistic that the students would do better having been returned to schools for revision.

Abosede Adetoun, an English Teacher in Lagos, observed that serious students who took their time to study during the period of the lockdown have nothing to worry about because they are expected to perform better in the ongoing external examination.

She said that it was her expectation that students who during the period of lockdown availed themselves of this new normal of online teaching will definitely post positive results in the examination.

Adetoun pointed out that students who prepared well will only see the Covid-19 adversity as a stepping stone to work hard which will, in turn, see them succeed.

Bayo Ogunjimi, a mathematics teacher, observed that there was no cause for alarm over the performance of the students in this year WASSCE. He also said that candidates had sat for the Mock Examination before the lockdown and closure of schools.

Ogunjimi pointed out that students who worked hard and truly sat for the Mock Examination and did well would surely make exploit in the examination.

He further cautioned that it was not when an examination approaches that wise students begin to prepare for it, adding that outcome of the 2020 WASSCE will only show the difference between those who prepared and those who didn’t.

Yomi Otubela, The National President of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) was quick to point out that those entertaining fears about the sitting arrangement occasioned by social distancing have nothing to fear. The arrangement is not new to the various examination bodies.

According to him, “It is always obtainable in exams conducted by WAEC, NECO, NABTEB and others. It is also not different from what we prepare in our exam halls. Before now, candidates sit four to five feet apart and social distancing only increased it to six feet apart.”

Commenting on how prepared students are, Otubela reiterated that students sat for the Mock Examination before the lockdown, adding that schools used all sorts of online and e-learning methods during the two weeks before the start of the examination to revise.

A school proprietor in whose school the examination is taking place, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “The pupils are not finding the exam easy at all. Many of them, out of three questions, they will only know one. They are really complaining. Well, let them just write it. I know that some of them who are disciplined enough and utilised the Covid-19 period to study their book will do well, no doubt,” the proprietor said.

Meanwhile, the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) Nigeria recently described as false rumours being peddled by some online media, alleging the leakage of its question papers in the ongoing WASSCE for School Candidates, 2020.

WAEC observed with dismay at such publication stating that contrary to the misleading impression, which the publications sought to portray, the integrity of the ongoing WASSCE for School Candidates, 2020 has not been compromised, as none of the question papers has leaked.

Demianus G. Ojijeogu, head, Public Affairs, WAEC Nigeria in a statement said that the attention of the WAEC Nigeria had been drawn to publications on social and other media.

“Some have even gone ahead to (mis)quote the Head of National Office of WAEC-Nigeria, Patrick Areghan, as confirming same. This is far from the truth and we take very strong exception to it,” he said.

Ojijeogu noted that for the avoidance of doubt, and for the benefit of the general public, there has been no leakage of any paper, whatsoever.

“The Council’s Monitoring/Investigations have revealed that some unscrupulous and unpatriotic Supervisors/Invigilators, and in some cases, candidates, snap the question papers (while the examination is in progress) and forward to their outside collaborators who in turn, provide solutions to the questions which they send to their subscribers via criminally-inclined websites, SMS and Whatsapp, even as this is against our regulation of Use Of Cell Phones In The Examination Hall Is Not Allowed,” he said.

Some culprits who were caught in the act in Bauchi, Nasarawa and Rivers States have been arrested and will be prosecuted.

Source: Business Day

Private school owners, parents differ on online teaching public school in Lagos

With the shutdown of public and private educational institutions across the country, as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), students have been away from schools since March. And they may likely remain in their homes furthermore based on the recent government decision to suspend its earlier announced July 13, 2020 for the reopening of schools for students in Basic 6, JSS 3 and SSS 3.

Aside this, the government also suspended Nigerian schools from writing this year’s West African Examination Council (WAEC) examination scheduled to run from August 4 to September 5, insisting schools will not reopen until the COVID-19 pandemic drastically subsides in the country.

Owing to this, all Nigerian students are now in forced holidays pending when the ‘almighty’ COVID-19 will leave its shores or be averted. As the forced holiday continues, owners of private schools in Lagos State, especially primary and secondary, their teachers, and those that provide ancillary services to the schools have been finding it tough to make ends meet.

Consequently, many private schools have devised ways of engaging their pupils through various social media platforms, including Whatsapp, Facebook, Zoom, Chat, as well as through e-mails, where they now send instructional materials and get feedback.

Since the commencement of online learning in some schools, some parents are appreciative of the stopgap measure, while others say the initiative is far from what they described as ‘the real teaching,’ as it is plagued by complaints, ranging from poor network connectivity, epileptic power supply, data challenges, to poor handling of devices by their wards, among others.

As if these do not constitute enough worries for affected parents, some private schools have, contrary to the warnings by the Lagos State government, begun demanding for part payment of third term school fees, despite its non-commencement. Those that are not asking for part payment of school fees are, all the same, asking parents to pay for their services, hinging their demands on the fact that teachers have to be paid for the services they are rendering, in addition to the data, and other services, which are all part of the mix.

While some schools are charging as much as N175, 000 monthly (depending on the class and location) for these services, others charge fees ranging from N100, 000 to N50, 000; N20, 000; N15, 000 and N10,000 monthly, respectively.

However, some parents are peeved that schools are being unreasonable with their charges not minding the austere period that the entire country is into.

A school proprietor, who simply gave his name as Babatope, confirmed that the disparity in fees charged for these online lessons might be as a result of the school’s location and class, adding that for most school owners, such funds would come in handy for the payment of teachers’ salary for the period of schools’ closure since third term resumption has now been postponed until further notice.

Babatope revealed that most private schools are using the online medium to teach some topics that they could not teach before the abrupt end to the second term, while those that were preparing for examination are now beginning to teach new topics having finished with revision exercises.

According to him, this is advantageous because it would keep pupils abreast of topics that they would treat upon resumption for the new term.

“Some school owners have continued to incur costs during this period, including paying their teachers and other members of staff that combine efforts to execute online teaching. The school equally makes available computer sets for teachers’ use, aside data purchased to prepare the lessons. So, we expect parents, who are opposed to the payments to please reason with us too, and pay the agreed charges for their children’s online lessons.

For the proprietress of Sejing Schools, Oshodi, Celina Unuegbu, depending on funds from online learning to pay teachers is a very challenging exercise because not all pupils are participating in the programme. She said that school owners need to treat their teachers well at this time; provide the necessary palliatives, including salaries for them to put in their best.

Unegbu, who implored school owners to draw from their savings to pay their teacher explained that she borrowed to pay teachers and other staff members from March to May, so that, they would continue to do their best during the period.

“Does it mean school owners do not have savings or cannot draw from their past profits? Running a school is also a form of business, and proprietors should stop deceiving teachers that they do not have money to pay salaries, no matter how little,” she noted.

Emeka Ikedu, a science teacher in an Ikeja-based school, said COVID-19 has opened a new way of survival for him, as he had to resort to taking students on private lessons since his school could not pay him and his colleagues before schools were shut by the government.

According to Ikedu, to survive the hardship created, he has to depend on home teaching, going from house-to-house of some of his students and others outside the circle to teach.

Ikedu is not alone as far as private home lessons are concerned. Thousands of his colleagues are equally engaged in it across the state. While these online lessons go on, Dansuki Mantu, whose kids are in Senior Secondary School (SSS), and in the Junior Secondary School (JSS) III, thinks the exercise as a scam, alleging that it is a calculated attempt by school owners to extort parents, especially considering the number of subjects taught via the channels.

Insisting that the process does not allow for effective teacher-pupil interaction, he queried if such a process could adequately prepare pupils for external examinations, as feedbacks seldom come, and when they do, they come late. He further alleged that he spends N3, 000 to N9, 000 on data weekly, apart from fueling the power generating set and forgoing his pleasure to help in solving some of the assignments sent to his children.

Another parent, Omolara Salami, claimed that the process is inflicting more pains on parents, who are currently finding it difficult to make ends meet, especially with the introduction of the monthly payment for the online teaching. She appealed to schools to, for once, make online lessons free.

To worsen issues, the pupils (both primary and secondary) were mandated to buy laptop computer sets, tablets or notebooks, and also pay an undisclosed amount to the coffers of the school within a week.

Although many parents kicked against the idea and refused to make the payment, the development, however, shows that some schools’ intentions are not as genuine as they appear.

Hakeem Hafeez, an educational psychologist, however, advised parents to keep an eye on what their children and wards are doing with the Internet-enabled devices used in learning as they could stray to harmful sites when not kept in check.

Nigeria reopens schools for exiting students, lifts interstate travel ban | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World NewsNigeria reopens schools for exiting students, lifts interstate travel ban

Nigerian Government has announced the reopening of schools for exiting students in secondary schools across the country. The task force said that critical and revision classes for JSS 3 and SS 3 students would resume to prepare them for their existing examinations. “Under the extended phase of eased

You’re lucky this is democracy, presidency tells Northern groupYou’re lucky this is democracy, presidency tells Northern group

Aso Villa has asked the CNG to thank their stars that the country is operating a democratic government where the right of free speechAso Villa has asked the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) to thank their stars that the country is operating a democratic government where the right of free speech.

Nigeria reopens schools for exiting students, lifts interstate travel ban | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World NewsNigeria reopens schools for exiting students, lifts interstate travel ban

You’re lucky this is democracy, presidency tells Northern groupYou’re lucky this is democracy, presidency tells Northern group

Amidst COVID-19, Lagos schools reopenAmidst COVID-19, Lagos schools reopen

WAEC: Parents meet FG Monday, insist on school resumption

The National Parents Teachers’ Association of Nigeria has said it is confused about the proclamation by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, that schoolchildren nationwide would not be allowed to sit the West African Senior School Certificate Examination slated for August 4 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NAPTAN National President, Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, in an interview with our correspondent on Thursday, said the association had resolved to meet Adamu by Monday to seek an amicable solution.

NAPTAN had in the last week of May called on the government to reopen schools nationwide “to pupils who will be sitting external examinations of the West African Examinations Council and the National Examinations Council.”

The association said parents had resolved to work together with schools to put measures in place such as the provision of face masks, handwashing containers and hand sanitisers to minimise the risks of virus contraction by the pupils.

Reacting to Adamu’s directive that pupils would not be able to sit the WASSCE this year, Danjuma said parents were confused and that they would seek an audience with the government on the matter.

He said, “Surprisingly, we heard from the Federal Ministry of Education that the government has suspended the reopening of schools. This is very confusing; we don’t know what to do. We are waiting for whatever will come after this.

“On our side at NAPTAN, we are planning to go to the ministry and meet with the minister or his representatives to hear from them. It should be on Monday.”

The Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, had during the press briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 last Monday announced that the 2020 WASSCE conducted by WAEC would hold between August 4 and September 5.

But Adamu said on Wednesday that all federal schools would remain closed until it was safe to reopen them. He also urged state governments that had announced school resumption plans to rescind such.

Parents Battle School Management Over 175k for E-learning Fee During this Pandemic Period.

Report Coming from Opera news

The smooth rapport between the parents and management of Atlantic Hall School is gradually taking a back-step following their tense disagreement that tailored towards what the parents described as crass extortion by the school.

Nigerian schools have been shut down for about two months due to the present situation while several schools are scheming to create a learning environment for the students outside the classrooms in order to reduce the heavy impact on their accademic lives.

But from the report coming from Atlantic Hall School, located in Epe Lagos, there is a raging battle between the parents and the Board of Trustees over the extra charges for the online learning which appears to be unfriendly for the parents.

The parents were asked to cough out a sum of 175,000 naira only for their ward who would be participating in the onliny intellectual activities.

The decision which was taken by the school BoT was communicated to the parents by it's principal, Andrew Jedra at a PTA meeting held on Zoom on Tuesday evening.

Before now, the school had allegedly imposed a sum of 195,000 naira on the parents as online tuition fee which was bluntly rejected.

After reviewing the decision in line with the current economic challenge, the management apparently in its show of magnanimity decided to prune down the charges to 175,000 naira with the hope of meeting the budget of parents, but this time, it met another brickwall.

Both decision was communicated to them in a letter sent by the school.

In a heated reaction to the decision, parents accused the Board of Trustees as "too profit-oriented" and inconsiderate with their decision despite the current state of things in the country.

They unanimously agreed to reject the offer from the school management. Every attempt by the school principal to score a point and get the parents on the same page with the management was fruitless.

The parents who cited other top private schools both within and outside Lagos that paid #60,000 and below however agreed to pay for value and quality but not exploitation.

Right now, it is a case of who blinks first between the parents and the school authority over how much to pay for an E-learning that only consumes data to disseminate and receive through an electronic gadget.