The Minister of Education announced that schools under control of the Federal Government will NOT be reopening for the forthcoming WAEC Exams. He also advised that WAEC should suspend exams, and further urged State Governments to toe the line of the Federal Government.
"One infected child is enough to infect a whole class..." \ Adamu Adamu, Minister of Education
This year’s examination, administered by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), was postponed indefinitely in April after it was earlier scheduled to commence in May. The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, announced during a media briefing on July 6 that the examination will now take place between August 4 and September 5.
But commenting on the proposed reopening of schools for academic activities, the education minister, Adamu Adamu, while addressing the State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided by President Muhammadu Buhari, said, “I don’t know whether you journalists are misquoting the Minister of State for Education or maybe quoting what WAEC said and made it into a story. Schools under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Education will not be opened on August 4 or anytime soon. Our schools will only open when we believe it’s safe for our children and that is when the situation is right, not when the incidence of the infection is going up in the nation. I just want to make it clear. We will not open soon for examination or for any reason unless it is safe for our children, even WAEC. WAEC will not determine for us what we do. Schools will remain closed." He went further to say he would prefer that “Nigerian students lose an academic year than to expose them to dangers.”
Meanwhile, according to premium times , the WAEC body through its Head of Nigeria’s Office (HNO), Mr. Patrick Areghan, said the examination body was still reviewing the situation and that it would make its position known soon.
The HNO said; “We cannot make any categorical statement for now. We are operating in five-member countries and we cooperate with the government. We recognise the fact that the government has the right and power to take positions, and we cannot confront the government. We work hand in hand with the government.”
In other related news, the Joint Admission Matriculation Board has debunked rumors about the cancellation of May 2020 JAMB results.
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