WAEC adjusts Nov/Dec exams timetable over Eid-el-Kabir

The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has adjusted the timetable of the ongoing November/December 2015 West African Senior School Certificate Examination for private candidates to allow Muslim candidates participate in the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

WAEC Head of Nigeria National Office, Mr Charles Eguridu, announced this yesterday in Abuja, during a media parley with members of education correspondents.

He disclosed that WAEC had rescheduled the examination that was supposed to take place on September 25 to October 10 because of Sallah festivities.

According to the new timetable, the Government 2 (Essay) and Government 1 (Objective) that were scheduled for 2.00 p.m. and 4.00 p.m. respectively on Friday, September 18 would now hold by 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. for the papers 2 and 1 on the same date.

The Mathematics (2 & 1) earlier scheduled for Friday, September 25, has been postponed to Saturday, October 10, with Paper 2 holding from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon and paper 1 would hold from 3.00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

He said the examination body was concerned about the yearning of the people.

“Our muslim brothers and sisters expressed concern about the WAEC timetable of the ongoing examination. Some papers were scheduled between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. and some just before the end of jumat prayers.

“Our attention has been drawn to this concern and only this afternoon, the Chairman of WAEC Board in Nigeria called my attention and we have decided to effect some amendment on the ongoing examination to address the concerns.”

He added that WAEC has decided to change the November/December examination to Private Candidates Examination, while the May/June exams will be referred to as School Candidates Examination.

“With effect from next year, what is called the Nov/Dec. examination will be referred to as private candidates’ examination so it will no longer be tied to the month and the May/June examination will be referred to as school candidates examinations.

In his remarks at the occasion, Chairman of WAEC Board, who is also the Director of Basic and Secondary Education in the Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs Ann Okonkwo, called on Nigerians to support WAEC in its efforts to meet the growing demands.

Speaking on the state who are indebted to the WAEC, he said “We took the interest of the students into consideration and after our deliberation with the Nigerian Governors Forum, and they assured me that all necessary steps will be taken to make sure we are paid; so, we decided to release the results.
We have received payments from 30 per cent of the states owing us and promissory notes from some others to redeem within few months.

“We are not indifferent to the hardship been faced by some of these states; some of them are owing salaries; we do not want to overstretch them.
Over the past three years, candidates from Ghana have remained the best. It is saddening considering our population.
We have been paying lip service to teachers. Some schools do not have facilities.

“Candidates do not have laboratories, vocational centres, libraries, textbooks; the outcome of such educational system will be self-evident; it is high time we got more serious with our value system and adopt excellence as our watchword; it is not that Nigerians are less intelligent but we do not motivate our children; the love and quest for material things has take over the level of responsibility in many homes; children are not monitored they watch African Magic at the detriment of the studies.

He however assured that “We must continue to maintain standard; we do not adjust to make people happy; we want our results to reflect the quality of teaching, skills and competence in our schools. If some others appear to be doing very well, that is something we have to research into.