Tobias Sylvester
Oyo State Government has insisted that schools will remain open in preparation for the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), despite the Federal Government’s warning against such due to the coronavirus pandemic.
KanyiDaily recalls that on Wednesday, July 8, 2020, the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu had declared that Nigerian schools would not be reopened until the COVID-19 pandemic drastically subsides.
Consequently, Adamu said Nigerian students would not participate in Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (SSCE) scheduled to commence on August 4, 2020.
However, while speaking with journalists on Thursday, Oyo Commissioner for Education, Olasunkanmi Olaleye said students preparing to write 2020 WASSCE will go ahead to do so unless the West African Examination Council (WAEC) says otherwise.
According to him, the directive by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, can only be enforced in Federal Government schools.
The Commissioner also disclosed that schools have re-opened in Oyo State and are in high compliance with safety protocols necessary for re-opening.
He also said that pending an official statement from the WAEC council and Governor Seyi Makinde, Oyo schools will remain re-opened till then.
“We have resumed in Oyo state and you must have seen the level of compliance to COVID-19 protocols by our schools. If you go to our schools, you will see that our senior students are still learning and the preparation for WAEC is ongoing.
“The examination is part of educational development. So the state government will assess the situation especially because of the fact that WAEC is an integral part of educational development hence it cannot be ignored.
“WAEC is a regional examination that involves five countries so we are waiting for the reaction of WAEC. The state government will then assess the situation,” he said.
KanyiDaily recalls that the Federal Government had earlier announced that WAEC exams will commence from August 4 to September 5, 2020.
The government said dates for National Business and Technical Education Board (NABTEB) and National Examinations Council (NECO) will commence after WAEC had been concluded.
