WAEC: Over 1.5m Nigerian Candidates To Write 2020 WASSCE – Areghan

The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has disclosed that 1,549,731 Nigerian students are expected to sit for the 2020 West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

This was disclosed on Wednesday by Patrick Areghan, national officer of the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) on a programme of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA).

According to Areghan, the exams will be held simultaneously in 19,119 schools across the country.

Naija News recalls the exams initially scheduled to start by May, were postponed due to the global coronavirus pandemic. August 17 was later picked as the start date for the examinations amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

“For the 2020 WASSCE, we have a total of 1, 549,731 candidates that will be writing the examination at 19,119 schools. Thanks to the minister of education that has made it possible for schools to resume, we all know that only the exit classes are in school now, that has made rooms available for the candidates to sit,” he said.

On the issues of safety for the students, teachers and all others that will partake in the conduct of the examination amidst the coronavirus pandemic, the WAEC official noted that all COVID-19 protocols will be observed and schools/centers are expected to provide face masks for the invigilators and candidates while WAEC would take care of the supervisors.

“We expect that all schools would provide adequate facilities for the conduct of the examinations. Our own is to ensure that candidates are well spaced, keeping to COVID-19 protocol which is two meter spacing. By that, it means we are going to make use of many more supervisors. By our estimation, we are going to make use of two supervisors per class,” he said.

“All our staff are expected to use face masks and the schools are also expected to provide face masks for the candidates and the invigilators. We are responsible for the supervisors. Anybody coming to the examination halls must be checked. The infrared thermometer must be used to take the temperature of the candidates, the supervisors and the invigilators.

“All these are in place. It is a collaborative effort and collective responsibilities of schools, WAEC and all concerned. Al hands must be on deck that is why we have appealed to all to ensure that all these measures and controls will be observed at all centres. We don’t want casualties. We have done our best and we are leaving the rest to God.”