By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
The back and forth between the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and the Federal Government on whether or not Nigerian students will take part in this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) may be over.
This is because the Federal Government has announced that secondary schools in the country will reopen on August 4, 2020 for students in exit classes to sit for their examination.
The government said students will have two weeks to prepare for the WASSCE organised by the WAEC. The examinations, the government said, will commence on August 17, 2020.
It will be recalled that the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, had earlier announced that schools would reopen in August for students in terminal classes sit for their examinations only to be countered by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu.
The government announced its latest 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.
A statement by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, 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 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.”
