The Periscope reporter
* Nigerian students will not participate in SSCE exam slated to commence August 4
* WAEC can’t determine resumption date for Nigerian schools
The federal government has reviewed its earlier decision to reopen schools to enable final year students participate in scheduled external examinations.
Schools across the country were closed in March to curb the spread of COVID-19. The federal government had earlier announced July 13 as the reopening date for graduating students in Primary Six, JSS 3 and SSS 3.
Announcing the suspension Wednesday, at the state house, the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, said Nigerian schools would not be reopened until the COVID-19 pandemic drastically subsided.
Adamu said Nigerian students would not participate in Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (SSCE) scheduled to commence on August 4.
The minister said the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) had no right to determine resumption date for schools in Nigeria.
Adamu argued that Nigerian students would rather be made to lose an academic year than to be exposed to danger.
Adamu explained that it is unlikely that students would observe social distancing and that one rotten egg is enough to smear the whole basket.
The federal government had on July 6 announced announced that the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) examination would hold from August 4 to September 5. The Minister of State for Education, Mr Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, had made the announcement at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 daily briefing in Abuja.
Nwajiuba had said that as soon the WAEC examination was concluded the NABTEB and NECO examinations would also follow.
Nwajiuba advised states that were willing to have the examinations to make their schools available for revision classes.
Schools will now remain closed, students will still stay at home.