FG toying with our future by cancelling WASSCE — Pupils 

With the Federal Government on Wednesday putting on hold the planned resumption of federal schools and stopping pupils from participating in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination previously scheduled to hold between August 4 and September 5, graduating pupils across the country share their thoughts on the postponement
Govt discouraging us from studying

We were told the exam was rescheduled for August 4, 2020. We were supposed to have sat this exam and concluded it by July, but because of this COVID-19 pandemic, it wasn’t possible.

Now, we hear that WASSCE for 2020 has been cancelled. This will make me reluctant to study because it is as if the government is joking with pupils and discouraging us from reading. They could have made proper arrangements, just like other West African countries, for their children to sit the examination.

The government is toying with our future. If other African countries could make proper arrangements for their children to sit the examination, why can’t Nigeria do the same? Nigerian children are disadvantaged because of this decision.

Precious Timi Benson

I hawked, starved to pay WASSCE fees

I want to pour out my grievance regarding this West African Examinations Council exam postponement. I’m finding it difficult to believe this. In fact, I am very hungry now. I wish you knew how much I suffered and what I passed through to pay for this exam. Some of us did different things; I hawked before paying my exam fees.

It will affect me badly and the effect on our society will be worse. Crime will increase, rape will skyrocket and other social vices will rise because when parents are leaving their houses, they will leave the children behind and you know what that means.

For over seven months, after paying the price by reading my books, what I got was postponement. I am hungry; my parents are also hungry. It has caused so many things in my life. Other sectors have reopened; just yesterday (Wednesday), they reopened the airports. Government should find a way to reverse this because some churches, mosques, and even markets that are crowded are open. So, why shut down schools?

—Sallomi Emmusha

Our plans disorganised

I am not happy with the Federal Government’s decision to suspend the WAEC examination this year. I was supposed to have sat this examination by July, but because of the coronavirus pandemic, we could not, and now, it has been shifted maybe to next year.

My family had earlier planned that I would sit this examination and conclude everything concerning secondary school exams and focus on higher education next year, but with this change, our plans have been disorganised.

—Chinenye Agunanna

The postponement could make pupils fail

I feel very bad because I have been preparing for this examination since SS1 and when I heard the news, it is something that anyone would feel bad about. We were supposed to take this exam on June 4, but we heard of the postponement to August 4 because of COVID-19. Now, it seems as though the exam has been cancelled for the year.

Source: Punch

TEAM PLATO REPORTS