Lagos monitors WASSCE, advised schools with more population than their infrastructure to settle for the option of staggered learning system when schools reopen

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The Office of Education Quality Assurance in the Lagos State Ministry of Education has visited some schools in the Lagos riverine areas to monitor the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination.

The schools were in the riverine area of Education District V.

During the exercise, the Director General, OEQA, Mrs Abiola Seriki-Ayeni and OEQA evaluators visited Tomaro Senior and Junior Secondary Schools, Igbologun Senior Secondary School, Ikaare Senior Grammar School, Ivory Senior Grammar School, Ibese, all in Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area and Osolu Senior Secondary School, Irewe and Egan Senior High School, Egan-Oromi both in Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State.

Speaking during the exercise, Seriki- Ayeni said the conduct of WASSCE was satisfactory.

“The conduct of WASSCE in the riverine area of Education District V is satisfactory. This is despite its unique challenges due to the terrain. I am impressed with the conduct, the students are well behaved.”

She also advised schools with more population than their infrastructure to settle for the option of staggered learning system when schools reopen which according to her was in line with the Federal and State Government directive of physical distancing of two meters apart.

Meanwhile, Lagos State Examinations Board has said it did not fix new dates for all the examinations under the purview of the board.

Examinations under the purview of the Board are, Basic Education Certificate Examination, Placement Test by Continuous Assessment Scores and Screening Test into Lagos State Model Colleges and Upgraded Junior Secondary Schools.

A statement signed by the Public Affairs Officer of the Board, Bakare Fatai, enjoined the general public to disregard all rumours peddled on social media that new dates had been fixed for the examinations.

“Lagos State Examinations Board wishes to inform the general public that no new date has been fixed for the conduct of all examinations under the purview of the Board. The Exams Board’s attention had been drawn to the various rumours being circulated in the social media on the dates and modality for the conduct of examinations,”

“School owners are hereby enjoined to disregard such information and advised to focus squarely on the registration processes while taking cognizance of the extension of the week grace starting from 7th -11 the September, 2020”.

The statement however said the date could be extended if there were any other directives from concerned authorities.

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

WASSCE: School Supervisors Arrested For Leaking WAEC Questions

West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) authority has again warned candidates to shun examination malpractice and trust only on their ability.

The WAEC board confirmed that it has apprehended some of the supervisors who leaked exam questions to students ahead of their papers.

Speaking on the development, Mr Patrick Areghan, the Head of National Office, WAEC, while addressing students during a monitoring exercise at the schools in Yaba, Lagos State, said examination malpractice must be made a thing of the past by candidates, warned them to rely only on what they have read and understood.

Areghan noted that his visit was to monitor the exams which commenced on Monday and to ensure that students and teachers complied with COVID-19 safety measures.

He said, “Students should not go about looking for anything they call expo. It is shameful, supervisors collecting question papers from WAEC and going somewhere to open the questions. Yesterday we caught one in Nasarawa. They don’t know that we have a way of detecting them. In Bauchi, we caught another. We detected it from here. In Port Harcout, a candidate did the same thing and was arrested,”

In another development, the Rivers State Government announced that it is investigating allegations of WASSCE malpractices in the state.

The State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Kaniye Ebeku, said a principal in one of the secondary schools in the state has been accused of collecting money from candidates, assuring them of answers in their examination.

Ebeku said one of the students confirmed the development to the government. Reacting to the report, Ebeku said,  “All allegations of corrupt practices in the ongoing WASSCE will be investigated.”

“Currently, we have no such report; bear in mind it is important to hear from the other party.”

The student had said, “Each of us was asked to pay N1,000 for Mathematics, another N1,000 for English Language and N500 for other subjects in order to cheat.”

Reacting to the allegations, the accused school principal during a radio broadcast on Wednesday, August 19 said, “I don’t know what the child is saying. I am going to bring out that child to say it before me that I collected N1,000 from them. I have never done it in my life and I have never thought of it too.”

WAEC: Students, parents, teachers and school administrators fear mass failure, demand extension

The Federal Government recently announced that students in exam classes across secondary schools in the country would resume on August 4, 2020, to prepare for their final examinations, which begins August 17.

The schools were asked to make adequate preparations in adherence to the stipulated COVID-19 protocols to safeguard staff and students.

These include fumigation of schools, provision of the clinic, mandatory temperature check, wearing of face mask by staff and students and the observance of social distancing, in addition to handwashing and use of hand sanitizers.

Although many expressed excitement at the news of schools reopening, saying it was long overdue, others expressed fear that the two weeks given was too short for students who have stayed over five months at home without any formal classroom teaching to prepare for exams.

Most state governments gave approval for resumption on August 10, leaving the students and teachers with just one week to prepare for the exams.

Students of New Era Girls Senior Secondary School, Surulere in class

However, students, teachers, parents and school managements spoke on their level of preparedness argued that the timeframe was short and expressed fear of mass failure.

A student of the Government Secondary School Karu, Felix, said he was not ready for the exams considering that he has not had enough time to read.

“When the lockdown started, I was reading and later when shops were opened, I had to go to my aunt’s shop daily. I am always tired and unable to read by the time we get back home,” he said.

Felix also noted that he couldn’t partake in any online class as he doesn’t own an Android phone.

Chairman/Chief Learning Officer of the Voyage International School Abuja, Yussuff Oriyomi, who also lamented the two weeks period for preparation, said, it was unfair as many students were engrossed in mundane things and hardly had time to read. He, however, noted that all safety protocols were in place for the exit clauses.

Meanwhile, most of the government-owned secondary schools did not adhere to the safety protocols. At the Junior Secondary School Phase 3 Kubwa, a source said the school only started enforcing the wearing face masks on Wednesday and on Thursday a bucket of water and soap was provided at the gate, the temperature reading only started on Friday. Teachers there, however, refused to speak on the issue because they were not authorized to do so.

As at Thursday morning, a parent in Wuse Abuja also told Daily Trust Saturday that at a government-owned secondary school which shares a fence with her compound, there were no safety measures in place.

In Anambra, there is low compliance

In the Anambra State, it was observed that most of the schools did not have an infrared thermometer and nobody was testing for the temperature at the gate.

However, most of the schools had provision for washing of hands, although it was not fully observed.

A student, Chinelo Obiora, while speaking to our correspondent, said most of them weren’t expecting good grades considering the long stay at home without lessons. She noted that for those of them in boarding school, the adherence to social distancing wouldn’t be a problem since they were few in number.

No PPE in some Osun schools, disability school to miss WAEC

Our correspondent in Osun, who monitored the resumption of schools, visited some schools in Osogbo and gathered that WAEC exams would not take place in the school for the disabled.

It was gathered that 40 students were qualified for the exam but only 20 paid and the minimum number of candidates that WAEC can register for a school is 25.

A teacher said: “Many of our brilliant students could not register for WAEC because their parents didn’t get the money due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some brought their money late.”

In some of the boarding schools, the hostels have been fumigated but students were not sighted there.

A government official, who said they were not authorized to speak to the press, said they may not use boarding facilities as students will be coming for the exam from home daily.

In the schools visited, PPEs were not provided by schools, but the students and teachers used face masks.

Fear of mass failure in Katsina, Kano

Though students are yet to resume, their resumption is, however, viewed with mixed feelings by parents, teachers and students as well.

A teacher who pleaded anonymity noted that just a week to prepare final year students is greatly inadequate, saying that the teachers can only do their best within the limited time.

He said although the circular for reopening was out the PPEs were not available yet.

A parent, Bashir Muhammed, said rushing to open schools just for WAEC exam is not good, adding that “since NECO is another option for admission, we can use it to plan appropriately because rushing the students is a massive failure waiting to happen.”

Our reporter gathered that an emergency meeting by education ministry officials was ongoing at the time of filing this report on strategies regarding the provision of PPEs and other guidelines by the government.

Fumigation of schools was ongoing when our correspondent visited some schools on Friday and provisions had been made for emergency isolation facilities in the schools.

The Examination Officer at GGSS Shekara, Malam Bala Ali, said because of the timeframe, they would only identify key areas that would most likely come out in the exams for revision.

A parent and academician, Dr Rukayya Yusuf Aliyu, was however pessimistic about the fate of the students in the examination due to the short time frame for adequate preparation.

She said the students had been home for too long and were supposed to be given adequate time to prepare for the exams, adding that the short time given by the government for resumption is an invitation for exam malpractices.

Aisha Abubakar, an SS3 student, though happy at the news of resumption for exit classes, fears that there could be a mass failure in the exams.

“My greatest fear now is having spent months at home due to COVID-19, many students, including me, must have forgotten what we were taught in school. I just don’t know how we will cope,” said Aisha.

For Sadiq Hassan, the story is not different as he has already written his JAMB UTME exam and acquired the minimum cut off marks, but waiting to write WAEC.

He said, “To be sincere, I have not been studying all this while. I just pray not to be disappointed by this SSCE because that will translate to an additional one year at home.”

Niger, Rivers students want exam date shifted

Schools in Niger State, according to the State Ministry of education, will resume on Monday.

A principal with the Special Trophy International School Maikunkele, Mr John Samuel, said the school is prepared and ready for resumption but sceptical about the examination.

He said their students are very much prepared for resumption but complained that they may not be able to cope with the examination because of the short time to prepare for it.

Samuel, who noted that all safety protocol requirements were in place, said some of the students have been asking that WAEC should shift the examination for a few more weeks to enable them to prepare well.

A student, Issah Isaac, lamented that the short time left to prepare for the examination that is just a few days away, saying, they needed at least a month to prepare for the examination.

In Rivers State, some students and parents who were happy that schools have resumed urged government to extend the exam period to enable them to prepare well for the exams.

A parent in Oyigbo, Mrs Josephine Chukwu, said the time frame for the exam period is too short for students to prepare for the exam and called for more time.

However, Praise Tochi Oforji, SSS 3 student of Glory Field Academy Oyigbo, said she had been studying since the lockdown and is eager to write the exam.

She said though the time frame given by government may not be enough to cover the syllabus but pointed out that most students like her are willing and very anxious to write their final exams.

Principals of public schools in Taraba said they are ready for the WAEC examination, however, a visit to some schools in Jalingo showed that many of them had nothing in place. Many public schools have no thermometer, water, soap and hand sanitiser.

Principals of some of these public schools who spoke with our reporter on condition of anonymity said they were expecting face masks, hand sanitizers among other items from the state ministry of education.

No directive to open schools in Imo

In Imo, only a few schools, especially faith-based institutions, opened their doors to graduating students as ordered by the Federal Government.

The state government had announced that no school should reopen until it says so.

The principal of the junior section of Owerri Girls Secondary School, Sister Claire Marie, told our correspondent that the school has to abide by the state government’s directive on the resumption of schools.

An SSS3 student, Miss Anne Benedict, said she was happy to be back to school and complete her secondary education as she was bored at home.

According to her, aside from paying boarding fee of N30, 000, they had earlier paid their second and third term school fees.

In most of the schools visited, clear guidelines on the COVID-19 protocols were in place at the gates while some were fumigating the schools in anticipation of the resumption of academic activities.

Kwara students worry over time

A teacher at the Government Girls College Ilorin, Abidoye Joseph, said: “We have put in place all necessary safety protocols to protect students and teachers from the pandemic. For the exams, I can tell you that we are fully prepared and ready.”

One of the candidates at the C&S College Sabo-Oke in Ilorin, Toyin Aboyade, said: “The time we have to prepare for the exam is short. We have stayed at home for about five months. We need time to get prepared for the exam, but unfortunately, it’s not so. Well, with the arrangement put in place by the school authority, I think we are safe.”

Enugu students can cope with online learning

In Enugu, a teacher at the Federal Government College Enugu said the students will be able to cope with their exams as many of them participated in the online class organized by the school.

Also, the principal of Idaw River Girls Secondary School, Lady Carol Omeje, said with fumigation of the school premises and provision of hand sanitizers, running water, detergent, buckets, etc., the school was ready for resumption.

A parent, Mrs Ann Nwachukwu, whose daughter is preparing to take WAEC, expressed confidence in her daughter’s readiness, saying, “She and a few of her classmates have been doing online learning.”

Bauchi students pay N700 fee before the entrance

In Bauchi, private schools have resumed and are preparing for the examination, having provided the safety requirements, while public schools will resume on Monday by which time the state ministry of education is expected to fumigate all public schools.

The state’s commissioner of education, Dr Aliyu Usman Tilde, who disclosed this on Tuesday, said the fumigation exercise which will last two days, would be carried out by the Bauchi State Environmental Sanitation Agency (BASEPA).

Meanwhile, a communiqué at the end of Education Stakeholders’ meeting for reopening of schools for existing students held last Wednesday, said all public-school students must pay the approved school fees of N700 before they are allowed to write the examination.

A student of Government Day Comprehensive Secondary School Saadu Zungur, Rukayya Yusuf, said “I am happy that the examination will hold, but I have developed a phobia for the examination. I read a lot and I attended extra classes for over three months. I pray fervently to succeed in the exams.”

In Kaduna State, State Commissioner for Education, Shehu Usman Muhammad, said schools will reopen on Monday for only SS3 students.

According to him, to make the school environment safe and conducive for academic activity, “the state government is doing everything possible to decontaminate, disinfect public schools including higher institutions, and provide handwashing facilities.

Daily Trust Saturday spoke with the State Chairman of National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) Alhaji Jafaru Yusuf Ra’oji, who said their members in the state are completely ready to reopen schools.

An SS3 student of Command Secondary School, Abubakar Ahmed Musa, said: “I’m ready for the examination. My classmates and I have been taking lessons through Whatsapp in preparations for the examination.”

Lagos students 70 per cent ready

Our reporter who monitored resumption at Agidingbi Senior Grammar School, Oduduwa Senior Secondary School along Ladipo Road, Mushin and Ikosi Senior High School, among others, observed that the schools made provision for all the safety protocols.

A staff of Agidingbi Senior Grammar School said the school had since begun to use the revision timetable designed to help the students prepare for their exams.

An SS3 student at the Agidingbi Senior Grammar School, Eze Blessing, expressed happiness over school resumption, saying it will help her prepare better for her examination.

“At the moment, I am about 70 per cent prepared for the WASSCE but with the resumption, I will do better because there is power in collaboration and learning under a tutor amidst colleagues,” she said.

Another student of Ikosi Senior High school who gave her name as Favour said she was about 80 per cent ready for her exam, adding that the two-weeks revision in the school will further boost her preparation level.

In Plateau State, our correspondent visited some public and private schools to ascertain the level of readiness of students and teachers for the WAEC.

An SS3 student of TCNN Secondary School Bukuru Jos, Favour Achor, said she was ready for the examination and in high spirit because during the lockdown she was studying.

Another SS3 student of Kings Secondary School Dadin Kowa, Mirad Praise Pam, said he was ready because he has been taking lessons at home all along.

Government Model Secondary School in Pankshin Local Government Area and found the SS3 students cleaning the classes and dormitories while the teachers were in the staff room working on their lesson plan.

In Kebbi State, Nagari Science College and Government Girls Unity College in Birnin Kebbi all complied with the COVID-19 safety guidelines.

A student of Government Girls Unity College, Maryam Mohammed Lawal, said they were given face masks, provided with washing hand points and social distancing has strictly complied within both their classes and hostels.

Source: Daily Trust 

Important facts about 2020 WASSCE and most recent updated timetable

THE WEST AFRICAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL

The West African Examination Council has released the official timetable for this year's examination.

Here are some facts you should know about the exam:

1. 1,549,463 students will write the exam in 19,129 centres nationwide.

2. The examination will start on Monday, August 17, 2020.

3. It will end on Saturday, September 12, 2020.

4. Mathematics exam will hold on Monday, August 17, 2020.

5. English Language exam is scheduled for Monday, August 24, 2020.

6. COVID-19 protocols in place include handwashing facilities, temperature checks, physical distancing, etc.

7. Candidates with special needs will be given one and half time more than other candidates.

WEST AFRICAN SENIOR SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION FOR SCHOOL CANDIDATES, 2020

FINAL INTERNATIONAL TIMETABLE (UPDATED WEDNESDAY, JULY 29, 2020)

PAGE ONE

PAGE TWO

PAGE THREE

PAGE FOUR

PAGE FIVE

Notes

1. The difference in Time on Question Paper and Timetable Where the duration indicated on the question paper differs from that on the timetable, the one on the question paper should be

followed. 

2. Question Papers to be Given Out in Advance of the Dates They Are to be Taken

Visual Art 3

Paper 3A – Instructions will be given to schools two weeks before the paper is due to be taken.

Paper 3B - Question paper will be given to candidates two weeks before it is due to be taken.

Paper 3C -Candidates will be required to execute their projects within six months of the examination year. The period of submission of art pieces will be communicated to schools by the Council.

General Knowledge-In-Art Paper 3

The question paper for General Knowledge-In-Art 3 will be given to candidates two weeks before the paper is due to be taken.

Block Laying, Bricklaying and Concrete Works 3 (Practical)

The Question paper will be given to candidates three days before the paper is due to be taken.

Project Work Papers

The question papers for project work for Basketry, Graphic Design, Leatherwork, Ceramics, Sculpture, Picture Making, Textiles, Jewellery, Painting& Decorating, Dyeing & Bleaching and Leather Goods Manufacturing& Repair will be forwarded to candidates two weeks in advance of the examination. The exact date for the delivery of question papers to candidates will be communicated to them through their schools.

3.      Extra Time for Blind, Deaf and Dumb Candidates

       Blind, deaf and dumb candidates should be allowed one and half times the time allotted to other candidates.

WASSCE: Students optimistic as teachers, parents fear mass failure

Time too short for preparation — Teachers FG to domesticate timetable We’re ready – Private schools Nigeria not ready to reopen schools — NMA   Graduating students in secondary schools across the country yesterday expressed joy over the reopening of schools for them to write their final year examinations. 

Many of those interviewed said they were tired of staying at home and saw the reopening of schools as a glad tiding. 

Officials of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) said they have registered 1, 549, 463 candidates from 19, 129 schools to write the West African School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in Nigeria. But teachers and some parents expressed mixed feelings with some of them predicting mass failure considering that their students and children have been at home due to coronavirus. 

They said the students missed “precious months” at home and that with the exception of few, the students did not use the opportunity to read ahead of the exams. 

Health experts also expressed worry that asking students back to school could be a recipe for further spread of coronavirus. 

The federal government said yesterday that all secondary schools in the country will resume academic activities for final year students on August 4, 2020. 

A statement by the spokesperson of the ministry, Ben Goong, said: “Students will have two weeks within which to prepare for the West African Examinations (WAEC) due to start on the 17th of August, 2020. 

“These were the unanimous decisions reached today (yesterday) at a virtual consultative meeting between the Federal Ministry of Education, Honourable Commissioners of Education of the 36 states, the Nigerian Union of Teachers, (NUT), the proprietors of private schools, and Chief Executives of examination bodies 

“The meeting also resolved that a passionate appeal be made to the federal government through the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and public spirited Nigerians for assistance to schools across the country to enable them fast track the preparations for safe reopening, as agreed. 

“Another meeting is to be convened tomorrow between the Federal Ministry of Education and Chief Executives of examination bodies namely, NECO, NABTEB and NBAIS to harmonise their examination dates, which will be conveyed to stakeholders expeditiously by the Federal Ministry of Education,” the statement said. 

Yesterday’s decision was a new twist to earlier comments by government officials. The Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, had last week said they would opt for the GCE since the WASSCE cannot be rescheduled for any reason. 

He stated this during the bi-weekly Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19. We’ll pass our exams Abbas Musa Abubakar, an SSS 3 student at Hayatul Islam Private School, Jos, said he was happy that schools would resume. 

He said, “We are not reading at home since the closure of schools because friends and other activities at home won’t allow you to read.

Besides, we don’t have someone to serve as a teacher.  Now that the school is resuming, we believe we can catch up with what we have missed,” he said. In Lagos, an SSS 3 student, Mariam Musa, expressed joy over the development, saying it will enable her to conclude her secondary education and forge ahead without any delay. 

A student of community secondary school Oyigbo, Rivers State, Chidinma  Nweke, said “I am happy that we are going back to school, but I want to appeal to the federal government to give us a little time to enable us recover some of our lost time and prepare for the exams.” Another student, John Ikechukwu, said, “We have been at home since March and this has affected our studies. I would like to commend the federal government for reopening schools.” 

In Kaduna, Shimi Jatau of Anchor College said the announcement was too sudden. “I am indifferent about it because it is too sudden. I mean, we should have been told this earlier or given more time to prepare our minds. But at the same time, I am okay with the idea of resuming August 4th because we will be moving forward and not staying at home doing nothing. Abubakar Ahmad Musa of Command Secondary School, Kaduna, said he had prepared for his final examination. 

“I am ready because I can’t wait to complete my secondary. Already, we have a WhatsApp group where we discuss various topics with my classmates during the lockdown,” he said. Time too short to make students ready A Senior Secondary School English teacher with Capville Schools, Abuja, Hassan Taiye Ibrahim, said two weeks would not be enough to get the students prepared for examinations. “Many of the students saw the COVID-19 lockdown as a prolonged holiday and it is now that they will start scraping to read up. 

Only a few of them are prepared for the exams,” he said. Hassan Sani, a teacher  in Kano, Michael Yusuf who teaches mathematics in Akwanga, Nasarawa State, and Yafati Babagana, a guidance and counselling official in Maiduguri, said they feared mass failure if the WASSCE is held in the next two weeks. “The students missed a whole term and I don’t think it is possible for them to recover in two weeks,” Sani said. “I pray our students pass but there is no magic in writing exams…If you know, you know,” he said. Yafati on her part said students would require a lot of mentoring to succeed. “We know how difficult it is but I want to suggest that governments at all levels provide opportunities for extra lessons for the students in order to cope,” she said. Also, the CEO of the Voyage International School, Abuja, Yussuff Oriyomi, said many students have not been reading but watching television at home and would therefore require more time to get back to their books. 

A parent in Lagos who gave his name as Mr Matthew, and whose child is in SSS 3, said he would not take the government seriously any longer on the issue of school reopening until its pronouncement becomes a reality. “Was it not the same government that announced earlier that schools would be opened for exams and abruptly rescinded its decision? 

So, I won’t be surprised if the government before August 4 said it has cancelled its plan to reopen schools for examinations,” he said. Why we support school resumption The Secretary General of Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) Dr. Mike Ene who was part of the meeting where a decision was reached yesterday, said they agreed to the resumption of schools after getting reports from state governments.

 “Following the assurances we got, we have to concur…Some commissioners said they are 80 percent ready and that even NCDC has given them certificates of readiness,” he said. He said most of the schools had finished their mock examinations adding, “What they need to do is little revisions and enter the exam hall.” He noted that the idea of starting from 4th was to have two weeks to do revisions. “Ordinarily, one month would have been better so that everything will fall into place, but everybody  including the teachers, students, parents, government and stakeholders have to make sacrifices because if we miss August, we will have to wait until November. 

“Already Ghana has started its WAEC, so the only time you can take all the four papers that the four regions will take is to start from 17th of August; after August the next one will be in November/December and if Nigeria is to go for that, parents would pay again. “So, having looked at all the options, we see that August is the time so that we will not interrupt the entire school calendar,” he added.

 Private schools applaud decision The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) in its reaction appreciated the federal and state governments for their resolve to reopen schools to allow students in the country prepare for their WASSCE.

 The National President of the Association, Chief Yomi Otubela, said it was cheering news for students, parents, teachers, school owners and other stakeholders who had shown concerns over the initial suspension of the examination. He assured that NAPPS was fully ready to ensure that proprietors took safety as a priority in schools. “We shall use the opportunity of this resumption to assess the workability of safety protocols that are in place in schools and hope that we can use the success of it to ensure other students fully resume as soon as possible,” he said. Our plans in Nigeria The federal government said yesterday that WASSCE subject’s peculiar to Nigerian candidates would be taken from September 5 through September 14, 2020. 

The Minister of State Education, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, said this while answering questions at the 53rd joint national briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19. According to him, the exams for subjects common to all English speaking West Africa countries, (Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, and Liberia) will however, proceed as previously published on August 17. 

He said, “This varies the timetable we agitated earlier by as much as two weeks. What the agreement entails is WAEC West Africa and all the countries that are in it have agreed that the exams should proceed, but the exams peculiar to Nigeria will be taken from September 5 through to September 14.” He added that Nigeria will work out an arrangement to domesticate its own timetable for the exams. 

The minister said, “The exams that are common to all the countries of West Africa will proceed as previously published on August 17. 

This today was accepted by every state in Nigeria and endorsed by the Presidential Task Force today at our meeting. Revision classes begin from today (Monday).” He said that this is to ensure that exiting SS3 students will have two weeks to prepare for the WASSCE examinations. Too early to put students in class The President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Prof. Innocent Ujah, said Nigeria was not ready to reopen schools because of the poor level of compliance to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) guidelines against COVID-19. He said it was not that medical experts do not want Nigerian children to be educated, but that it was important to note that only those who were alive could go to school and be educated. 

He said the reason the government was reopening schools was because of the pressure from teachers, proprietors and parents. He said parents who were insisting that their children must write examinations have also not factored the fact that their children could be infected with the virus. Prof. Ujah said Nigeria should note that South Africa re-opened schools and many students got infected, forcing authorities to reverse the decision. 

He said the federal government should have checked that all requirements for COVID-19 prevention were met before reopening schools. 

He said people were also supposed to be trained on ensuring student’s compliance to use of face masks, social distancing and also carry out daily temperature checks on students. “The NMA feels the pressure put by parents on the federal government to reopen schools should be noted so that if there are issues, they shouldn’t blame the government,” Prof. Ujah said. 

Source: daily trust

BREAKING: Schools to reopen August 4 for final year pupils, WAEC holds August 17th— FG

Federal Government has said Secondary schools in the country will reopen on August 4, 2020, for pupils in exit classes to sit for their examination.

The government said students will have two weeks to prepare for the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination organised by the West Africa Examination Council.

WAEC exams, the government said will commence on 17th of August, 2020.

The government announced the decision at the end of a virtual consultative meeting between the Federal Ministry of Education, Commissioners of Education of the 36 states, the Nigerian Union of Teachers, (NUT), the proprietors of private schools, and Chief Executives of examination bodies.

In a statement by the Director, Press and Public Relations, FMoE, Ben Goong, said “stakeholders at the meeting agreed that the exit classes should resume immediately after the Sallah break, from the 4th of August, 2020 to enable them to prepare for the WAEC examinations scheduled to commence from the 17th of August, 2020.

“The meeting also resolved that a passionate appeal be made to the Federal Government through the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and public-spirited Nigerians for assistance to schools across the country to enable them fast track the preparations of safe reopening, as agreed.

“Another meeting is to be convened tomorrow between the Federal Ministry of Education and Chief Executives of examination bodies namely, NECO, NABTEB and NBAIS to harmonise their examination dates, which will be conveyed to stakeholders expeditiously by the Federal Ministry of Education.”

COVID-19: FG mulls alternatives on WAEC, schools re-opening

WAEC urges FG to introduce E-Learning

The Federal Government on Thursday in Abuja said that final year secondary school students may have to sit for the General Certificate Examinations (GCE) in November if there is no shift in the timetable of the West African Examination Council (WAEC).

The Minister of State Education, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, while answering questions at the 52nd joint national briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.

This is as he said that the government would meet with stakeholders again on July 30, next week Thursday to review the guidelines, provisions and preparation for safe reopening of schools.

According to him, sitting for the GCE may become the only option for Nigerian students if the country cannot convince WAEC to shift its examinations as requested for by the Federal Government.

“Should Nigeria be able to meet up with the WAEC timetable, there was already a negotiated timeline to move local language subjects such as Ibo, Yoruba and Hausa behind to allow all participating countries the needed time to write the general subjects at the same time.

“WAEC unfortunately, is unable to wholesomely move the exams but we have also worked out a negotiated time line with WAEC on what we call peculiar Nigerian subjects which in the language of WAEC are subjects that are only held in Nigeria such as Ibo, Hausa and Yoruba.

“The Ghanaians will take examinations peculiar to them. But they are all in the first part of the time table so we will work out a domestication module that will take our peculiar subjects behind after we have done generals,” Nwajiuba said.

When asked to comment on the Oyo State Government cancelling third term, the minister said that the education is on concurrent list and that while the states are expected to work together on common front, especially on the COVID-19 crisis, the states were at liberty to evolve some measures on their own.

Oyo State government disclosed yesterday that it was ready to present students in the state for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC)

Oyo State government disclosed yesterday that it was ready to present students in the state for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) as well as other external examinations as the world had prepared for post-COVID-19 realities.

This was disclosed in Ibadan by the Chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Nureni Adeniran, while leading members of the board and management of SUBEB to Islamic Mission Schools 1& II, Bode and UMC Demonstration Basic Schools I, II &III, Molete, Ibadan to warn owners of shanties and illegal structures around the schools’ environments.

According to him, judging from the readiness of the State through the preparation of students in  all terminal classes, students in the State would face any external examinations, including WAEC and the Joint Admission Matriculation Examination (JAMB).

Adeniran said: “Earlier, the federal government said they cancelled WAEC but we  thank God that they have reversed themselves.

WAEC is conducted by a regional body comprising many countries, Nigeria inclusive and the Covid-19 pandemic is global, so whatever the body says should be the final, not what Nigeria thinks should happen.

WASSCE: Don’t reopen schools until 2021, ASUU tells FG

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has said it supported the decision of the Federal Government to stop Senior Secondary School 3 pupils from partaking in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination earlier scheduled to commence on August 4.

The union advised the government to shut down schools until 2021 to ensure adequate preparations, citing the case in some countries such as Kenya.

Our correspondents had reported on Saturday that the Federal Ministry of Education met with officials of the West African Examination Council in Abuja and resolved to announce a new date for the examination.

The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, had also said the government would consult with the four other countries under WAEC to set a new date, while announcing COVID-19 mandatory guidelines for schools which must be kept before July 29.

The ASUU President, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, who made the recommendations in an interview said no reasonable government would take such chances unless parents would be told to sign an undertaking.

Ogunyemi said, “Look, Kenya has said they have closed all their schools till next year (2021); they too have exams to write. Safety first. If it means closing the schools until next year to safeguard the lives of Nigerian children and safeguard the health of all Nigerians, so be it.

“So, if that will help us to address cases that can lead to increase in mortality, I think Nigerians should go that way and all of us should see reason for it. If they need to cancel admission for the year, it is good for them. Life matters first, people must have life first before they can go to university. Are the universities ready to work now?

“Our position is that they should not experiment with the lives of our children. Nobody can tell; the situation may soon normalise and they can do their exams and there is another opportunity for external candidates around November. So, it’s not as if the door is totally closed.”

The ASUU president added that the union had not seen any evidence to show that schools were secured for students to go back.

He said, “The first thing that should be tackled is whether schools are safe. And if the schools are not safe, why do you want to carry out an experiment with the lives of our children? An attempt to send back the children to school at a time there is a spike in COVID-19 cases in Nigeria is like experimenting with the lives of our children.

“If they put all the things in place, including social and physical distancing, sanitisers, kitting the children as we see in other places, decontamination with water flowing in the schools and all the gadgets, why not? So, if government can meet all these conditions, then they can reopen the schools. But if they cannot meet all these conditions, they should not experiment with even 10 students in any school.”

Meanwhile, the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools has said that its members are ready for school reopening and that as part of measures to curtail the spread of COVID-19, it has directed its members to open schools for about four hours daily.

NAPPS in an exclusive interview with one of our correspondents noted that since the Federal Government had given the directive on school resumption for terminal classes, it was relating with its members nationwide on a number of safety protocols to put in place.

The NAPSS National President, Chief Yomi Otubela, said, “Our association, as the registered umbrella body of private schools in Nigeria, has been interfacing with Federal Government representatives, including the Ministry of Education and other agencies, concerning how to combat the spread of COVID-19.

“The fact that pupils are returning to school does not mean that we are going to spend the total hours as it used to be in the past. We are considering a little time of about three to four hours in school. This is to ensure that there is no room for children to go on break and play around the premises.

“And we have also discussed with our members that there should be staggered resumption. Staggered resumption means that if the JSS3 class comes to school by 8am, SSS3 can come by 9am and the Primary 6 classes can come by 10am. This is to ensure that we don’t get the entrances and the exits crowded.”

The president noted that schools had been instructed to have infrared thermometers, and also avoid teachers marking students’ books manually.

WASSCE: FG, WAEC agree to shift examination date (see press release)

The Federal Government and West African Examination Council (WAEC) have agreed to shift the date of West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) from the August 4 to September 5, 2020, earlier announced.

Minister of State for Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, who disclosed this on Friday in Abuja, said this was the outcome of a meeting between the Federal Government and officials of WAEC’s Nigeria office on Monday and that both parties have agreed to further consult with four other countries on new examination date.

The minister also said government has given school owners in the country till July 29, 2020 to meet specific guidelines towards the reopening of schools at a date to be announced in due course.

He said the Ministry of Education, having consulted widely, has in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the Education in Emergencies Working Group, developed and circulated guidelines for the reopening of schools.

The Director of Information, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Ben Bem Goong, in a statement quoted the minister as saying that the school owners were to prepare and comply with the guidelines.

Nwajiuba urged the schools to undertake self-assessment and send feedback to state Ministries of Education, not later than July 29, 2020.

“Thereafter, consultations with relevant stakeholders will be held to review the situation and decide on a specific date for reopening or otherwise,” he said.

Nwajiuba further noted that having taken the painful but necessary decision not to reopen schools without necessary preparations to ensure the safety of students and teachers, the Federal Ministry of Education has continued consultations with stakeholders, adding that a mechanism to assess and monitor compliance shall be put in place.

“We have consulted widely with stakeholders in the sector, including Commissioners of Education in all the states of the federation, the Association of Private School Owners of Nigeria,(APSON), National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools,(NAPPS), Provosts of Colleges of Education, Rectors of Polytechnics, Vice-Chancellors of Universities, some State Governors, and development partners.

“On WAEC, we met with WAEC on Monday and have agreed to further consult with four other countries on new examination date.

“We appreciate the concern shown by all stakeholders and note the divergent views expressed on the matter.

“Parents should be rest assured that the safety of our students and teachers is paramount as we work assiduously towards the speedy reopening of our schools for the exit classes to take external examinations,” the minister said.

Why we choose to reopen schools – Oyetola’s SA on Education

Governor Gboyega Oyetola’s Special Adviser on Education, Jamiu Olawumi on Wednesday revealed that the state government could reopen schools any time soon.

Jamiu disclosed this after a virtual meeting by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria known as the DAWN Commission, in collaboration with the forum of South-West Education Commissioners, Special Advisers on Education and the State Universal Basic Education Board.

He said the meeting was convened following realisation that the COVID-19 pandemic might not go anytime soon.

Reports that Six South-West states are ready to reopen schools for students, to sit for the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

“We have been doing our job. On Monday the Federal Ministry of Information sent us guidelines for reopening of schools. we’ve fulfilled it; even without anybody prompting us. Osun is up to the task.” Jamiu told newsmen.

According to him, the Osun State submission at the meeting was gathered through information and was data-driven.

He said that the state ministry of education is awaiting the Governor’s approval to give a date on resumption.

“We are pulling together all the stakeholders within the education sector, to let them understand our policy on reopening of schools, and as soon, we collate our papers, we shall present to the governor for approval.

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“We want to assure the people of the state that the Governor will not act outside what is in their best interest. So, we have done our due diligence, and before now, we have been teaching our students – within the syllabus and they are ready to write the exam any day.

“So the issue of the day of reopening is not the issue, but the issue is when are we going to reopen – which I know the Governor will accommodate other interests including WAEC, NECO and all other examination bodies.

“Osun is up to the task. We have realised here that COVID-19 is a pandemic that will not go in a hurry. Hence, we have been doing our job.

“We have three exams around the corner, WAEC and BECE JSS3 which is an internal examination that only the government of the state can organise and conduct and the Primary 6 examination. All these are examinations conducted by the state ministry of Education. He added.