Lagos state alongside five others in the southwest have, Thursday, expressed readiness to conduct this year’s West African School Certificate Examinations (WASCE) for final year students across secondary schools.
These six state governments made the submission at a virtual meeting organised by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) commission in collaboration with the Forum of South-West education commissioners, special advisers on education and the State Universal Basic Education Board chairmen.
In a statement issued, the forum divulged that after careful deliberations, considering peculiarities of each state and options available, they reached a unanimous consensus on the subject matters.
It stressed that the six state commissioners for education have signified readiness to sit students for the 2019/2020 WAEC examinations.
The forum further noted, “At the least, August 3rd, resumption for final year SSS3 students, states should approach the Federal Government at the first instance seeking the postponement of the WAEC exam by at least three weeks from proposed resumption.”
While advising states to directly approach WAEC to seek an extension of the WAEC Examinations to week commencing August 24, the forum urged examination council to encourage the administering the use of Computer-Based Tests while each state should deliberately intensify efforts and invest more in education technology.
According to the statement, when reopening, all schools should have in place incident managers and classroom wardens for every school and every classroom.
It read in part, “The designation of the Quality Assurance Department for each state to issue a Safety Compliance Certificate to each school before reopening, encourage intense advocacy campaigns of the stakeholders – parents, teachers, caregivers, proprietress/head teachers, and the pupils on what is expected of them when schools resume.”
“Only hostel/dormitory accommodation attached to schools should be provided where available to ease logistics and travel challenges of pupils and teachers. Tests and health checks of all pupils and teachers as a prerequisite for accommodation.”
