As the registeration for the West African School Certificate Examination effectively ends today, Friday 25th of February 2022, the Edo government has sounded a note of warning to all parents and private school owners to desist from registering under aged children or wards as well as external candidates from writing the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, exams in the state.
According to the state’s commissioner for education, Joan Osa Oviawe, who issued the statement said that it covers the National Examination Council, NECO.
Osa-Oviawe said the new measure cuts across board and applies to both government-owned schools and private schools in the state.
“[This is to] inform parents and proprietors of private schools as well as public schools’ principals that effective immediately, no external candidates will be allowed to write any exams in Edo.
“This affects West African Examinations Council and National Examination Council, junior secondary school as well as primary six exams.
Explaining the reason for the action, Osa-Oviawe said the decision is part of the state’s effort to eliminate exam malpractice in its schools.
“The government wants to enforce it as part of a determined process to eliminate exam malpractice in our schools. The general public should please take note,” he added.
“The expiration for WAEC registration deadline is 25th of February and I am using this opportunity to tell private school owners who are yet to clear for the WAEC exam to do so as a matter of urgency.
“The council also mandated that beginning from the next academic year, which is 2022/2023 this year, grace skipping will no longer be allowed.
“That policy will be enforced by the state Ministry of Education. That means learners will not be allowed to skip primary six to move on to JSS one or write WAEC in any of our public schools.”