WASSCE 2020: Why the Minister Of Education Should Review His Decisions -By Ismail Waliyillahi

A lot of uproars have been caused after Mallam Adamu Adamu, the minister for education announced the cancellation of the West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for the year 2020. It is of great concern that made him announced such due to the current pandemic state of the world.

Obviously, there will be a delay in conducting this year WASSCE, but the cancellation of the exam is not the way forward. It is better for the federal government to provide rules that will be in use within the period of the exam than to allow the student academics to fall the victim of the pandemic.

WASSCE is one of the prerequisites to gain admission into any tertiary institution in Nigeria even globally, definitely by nonparticipation of the students will hinder their chances of getting admitted into any institution as the case may be.

Canceling of the exam, the students will have to wait till another year before they can sit for the exam. Thereby making the number of candidates to sit for the exam increase.

Urgent provision of more examination halls to be used and more invigilators during the commencement of the exam could have a negative impact on the exam next year for many schools. All of which is nearly impossible to be provided immediately across secondary schools in Nigeria. And by not meeting up with all the requirements as set by the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) may lead to another cancelation.

Since the number of candidates will increase, examination malpractice may also occur when there is no provision for adequate facilities for the schools during the following year examination.

The federal government should rather make the use of nose mask, washing of hand, and social distancing by students and invigilators the requirements for conducting the 2020 WASSCE as already laid down by West Africa Examination Council than to scrap out the examination.