WAEC exams run into night again, parents protest; we’re working on it – Council
The ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), has again been marred by significant delays, forcing candidates in some centres across the country to sit for examination papers late into the night.
The development has triggered widespread concern among parents, school administrators and education stakeholders, coming barely a year after similar incidents saw candidates writing examinations as late as midnight.
Findings from several examination centres in Lagos, particularly on Lagos Island and in the Lekki axis, indicate that the delays became more pronounced this week.
On Monday, Physics Papers 2 and 1, scheduled to hold between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., reportedly did not commence as planned, with some candidates writing the second paper at about 8 p.m.
A similar situation occurred on Wednesday during the General Mathematics examination. The essay paper, slated for 9:30 a.m. to noon, and the objective paper scheduled for 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., were reportedly concluded around 10 p.m.
As of Thursday evening, candidates scheduled to sit for the Agricultural Science Practical examination were still waiting for examination materials several hours after the paper was expected to begin.
According to reports, candidates at some centres were informed that the examination materials had yet to arrive.
A school principal, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed disappointment over the recurring challenges.
“Why are we experiencing this again after what happened last year? Apart from the security concerns in the country, these delays have psychological effects on candidates. Imagine preparing for an examination scheduled for noon and eventually writing it at 7 p.m. or later,” the principal said.
He added that many stakeholders had expected WAEC to address the challenges following last year’s incidents.
A parent in Lekki also criticised the situation, saying the delays were affecting students’ welfare and raising concerns about the management of the examination process.
“My child returned home around 10 p.m. on Wednesday. We expected lessons would have been learned from last year’s experience, but the same issues are happening again,” the parent lamented.
The delays have also sparked reactions on social media, where parents and concerned citizens complained about the late commencement of examinations, shortages of question papers and the toll the situation is taking on students.
Some users alleged that candidates in certain centres had to wait for hours before examination supervisors arrived, while others claimed that some schools demanded payments for mathematics sets used during the examination.
Several parents questioned how candidates could be expected to remain focused after spending an entire day waiting to write examinations, while others raised concerns about their safety as they returned home late at night.
Responding to the concerns, a WAEC official who was not authorised to speak publicly on the matter acknowledged the challenges and assured stakeholders that efforts were being made to resolve them.
“Yes, we are aware of some hitches due to unforeseen circumstances. However, we are doing everything possible to address the issues, and hopefully, things will return to normal soon,” the official said.
WAEC is yet to issue an official public statement on the delays. However, stakeholders have called on the examination body to provide clarity on the causes of the disruptions and implement measures to prevent a recurrence in future examinations.