South West commissioners for education say ready for WAEC examination 

Commissioners for Education in the South West states have indicated their readiness to sit students in the zone for the West African Examination Council examination.

This was disclosed after an online meeting which had in attendance the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria, Southwest Commissioners of Education, Special advisers on Education, and States Universal Basic Education Board.

According to the Director General, DAWN Commission, Mr Seye Oyeleye, in a statement, the focus of the meeting was premised on the need to jointly agree on modalities for the 2019/2020 WAEC Examinations, resumption of schooling activities for SSS 3 students and other allied matters.

The Forum, after careful deliberations, considering peculiarities of each state and options available reached a consensus that “State Commissioners for Education have signified readiness to sit students for the 2019/2020 WAEC examinations”.

They also said August 3rd, 2020 should be the resumption date for final year SSS3 students.

They called on the states in the zone to approach the Federal Government at the first instance seeking the postponement of the WAEC exam by at least three weeks from proposed resumption.

At the second instance, states should directly approach WAEC to seek for an extension of the WAEC Examinations to week commencing August 24”.

On resumption of schools, they agreed that “All schools when reopening should have in place, incident managers and classroom wardens for every school and every classroom.”

“The designation of the Quality Assurance Department for each State to issue a Safety Compliance Certificate to each school before reopening”.

They also encouraged an intense advocacy campaign of the stakeholders like Parents, Teachers, Caregivers Proprietress/Headteachers, and the pupils on what is expected of them when Schools resume.

They also resolved that “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.”

On Technology in Education, they reiterated that “WAEC should encourage the administering the use of Computer Based Tests.”

They called on states to deliberately intensify efforts and invest more in education technology

“Furthermore, Southwest States should as a matter of urgency, consider setting up a Regional Examination body similar to the IJMB in the Northern part of the country which would position the region in an increasingly uncertain future.

“This had been agreed at the Roundtable on Creating a Collaborative Framework for Education Development and Advancement in Western Nigeria held July 2016, Osogbo, Osun State.”

Vanguard News Nigeria.