WAEC and school resumption in Nigeria: As di kontri pull out from di West African Examination Council exams wetin be di next option for students?
Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Liberia na di five English African speaking kontris wey dey participate for di West African Examination Council (WAEC) examinations.
Students don resume school for Ghana WAEC na di standard external examination wey final year students for secondary school dey write to show say dem don finish as dem go collect certificate wey go make dem fit further dia education for tertiary institutions. Recently, di Head of WAEC office for Nigeria, Patrick Areghan bin tok say di five kontris wey dey write dis external examination bin hold plenty discussions before dem arrive at di date wey dem choose to write di exam, August 3rd to September 5th. Di examination suppose hold for April but dem postpone am sake of coronavirus But Nigeria goment do U-Turn say dia students no go partake for di exam as e no dey safe yet sake of di coronavirus. Dis dia decision na still topic of discussion. Di Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu say Unity schools for di kontri no go partake for dis year WAEC to save dia lives and schools for Nigeria still remain closed. Dis federal goment decision don cause confusion for di kontri as WAEC, private school owners and state owned schools no understand wetin to do, weda make dem go ahead wit di examination or not. However, Oga Adamu tok say im only speak for di 104 unity schools im dey in charge of, no be for di over 19,000 secondary schools wey dey di kontri. But African kontris don begin reopen schools though, and dem put safety measures in place and health guidelines to keep children safe make dem for no dey infected with coronavirus. Students for school Wetin Private Schools for Nigeria tok Di National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) wey be di umbrella body for all private school owners for di kontri dey beg di federal goment to reconsider dia decision as management of private schools don spend millions of naira to prepare for school reopening and to make sure say e dey safe for children. Di National Chairman NAPSS Yomi Otubela say if students no write di exam, e fit cause emotional trauma and to continue dey stay house e fit make dem lose interest for education. Teacher dey write for board for classroom Oga Yomi say any how e be, dem go still follow goment decision but dey beg federal goment to review im position on WAEC suspension. Wetin states dey do State Ministry of Education for all states dey under di Federal Ministry of Education. Although none of dem don tok anytin on top di WAEC situation for di kontri but those wey BBC follow tok say dem dey wait further instructions and directives from di federal goment. How WAEC for Nigeria dey respond Although di West Africa Examination body for di kontri neva come out to reverse dia decision afta wetin goment tok, dem tell NAPSS say dem gats wait for further instructions and as e be so, di position of di Federal Ministry of Education on top di suspension of di exam for Nigeria go stand. Oyo state goment reopen schools Wetin be di next option for students? Two options na im dey open . Either dem go-go write di exam for neighbouring kontris or lose one year. NAPSS national president tell BBC say, di moment federal goment announce di suspension of 2020 WAEC examinations for SSS 3 students, parents of students for private schools don begin meet management of private schools to return dia money make dem use am register dia children for oda neighbouring kontris. Apart from WAEC, oda external examinations wey students fit write na GCE but na WAEC still dey conduct dat exam, di oda alternative na National Examination Council of Nigeria (NECO) wey Nigeria goment dey coordinate. But di option to go write for oda kontries na difficult one sake of di coronavirus and restrictions to travelling. As e be, di tin wey dey most likely to happen na say Nigerian students go lose one year. What about oda African kontris wey dey write WAEC wetin dey happun dia? Na four oda African kontries aside Nigeria dey write di WAEC. Ghana, The Gambia, Sierra Leone and Liberia still get plans to go ahead. See how dem dey do am. Ghana na one of di African kontris wey don reopen schools and di main reason students dey on campus na sake of dis final exams. Despite calls from di National Council of Parent Teachers Association, GES say make dem close schools as cases of coronavirus dey rise goment say dem go return home afta di final exams. Officials of di Ministry of Basic and Secondar School for The Gambia visit schools for 24 June Gambia don reopen schools for basic and senior secondary school students. According to di kontri ministry of education, dem fumigate di schools, dey maintain social distance, provide water, soap and hand sanitizer and dem dey follow all safety protocols. President Julius Maada Bio on 23 June 2020 tweet say di Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary School, in consultation with stakeholders don develop ogbonge health and safety guidelines for teachers, pupils, and communities so as to provide safe environment for students wey go write di public examinations. Di ministry also say na afta critical consultation wit stakeholders dem reopen schools to allow students fit write di exam. Students for grade 12 resume school for Liberia to prepare for di upcoming WAEC examination Liberia goment bin reopen schools for June make students for fit write WAEC, President George Weah say schools dey resume sake of di joint agreement wit member nations make students fit write WAEC. Di ministry of education say wit support from UNICEF, dem don provide safe environment for Liberian students during di Covid- 19 crisis as they prepare for WASSCE.