By Bamidele Lawson, with Agency report
The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has reported that about 1.6 million candidates have registered for the 2021 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) that is beginning on August 16.
The Head of Nigeria National Office of WAEC, Mr. Patrick Areghan, who broke the news in Lagos, also said the Examinations council is working with relevant stakeholders to ensure a hitch-free WASSCE for school candidates despite challenges facing it.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr. Areghan added that the council is also making efforts toward accommodating some schools still bothering it with late registration.
“As I have always said, conducting examination is not a tea party. It is a huge task and requires collaboration of all critical stakeholders, including the media,” he said.
”It requires a lot of preparations and even more, especially in the face of the rising cases of insecurity and the resurgence of coronavirus pandemic in the country.
”In conducting this examination, we also want to ensure that the lives of all those involved, including council’s staff, and materials are properly secure.
”Our arrangement for the successful conduct of our upcoming examination, therefore, is in top gear as we are ensuring that we do not leave any stone unturned.”
Admonishing schools and candidates to be well prepared ahead of the examination, Patrick Areghan further warned that the council would not tolerate any acts capable of undermining the integrity of the examination.
Areghan called on not to engage and support their children and wards in cheating in examinations by providing money to source for the questions from fraudsters.
He said what some sections of the public referred to as leakage during conduct of WASSCE was the work of internet fraudsters, who registered and sat with genuine candidates in the hall.
”Therefore, in order not allow anything reduce that standard, we shall be collaborating with the federal and state ministries of health and education as well as the police and other security agencies,” he added.
”This is in a bid to ensure that all precautionary measures are in place before, during and after the examination.”
The exam was earlier billed for May/June but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
