The West African Examination Council (WAEC), has been criticised for allowing secondary school students to write exams at night without light.
Some parents of students in Rivers, Lagos, Ogun and Taraba states said to have taken their English language exam at night without electricity, using lanterns, mobile phone flashlights, on Wednesday, made the critiicism in reaction to the development.
They described the act as uncalled for and demanded an apology from the examination body.
They said WAEC should have postponed the exam instead of subjecting the children to hardship, especially since they would take another subject the next day.
They stated further that such had never been experienced in the states.
The parents, therefore, called on the Federal Government to punish those responsible for the act and curtail such from repeating itself.
In a post on his facebook page titled: ” WAEC AT NIGHT, AFTER JAMB GLITCHES!, Ignatius Chukwu, Regional Manager, businessDay, stated that such an act can compromise the integrity of the examination.
“These reports are read around the world, and our children will carry these certificates to seek places around the world. Who would trust them? What exam integrity is there in an exam that took place in the night without light. Some used their phones to see. Invigilators were scared of danger at night about going home. They hurried and harried the students to write quick, quick. Nobody cared about exam malpractice anymore. No authority cared about providing urgent lighting even candles”, Chukwu wrote.
He further wrote, “A minister of Education is still on seat maybe celebrating 2 years in hollow office. Our children wrote WAEC in darkness last night for no fault of theirs. This adds to the harsh JAMB glitches that were either an error or a deliberate attack on a region.
“Governance without leadership, not just now, but for many years.
“THIS morning, the newspapers are awash with achievements of past 2 yrs in big figures such as 300,000 students got loans, 800,000 families got alerts. Sad. Real governance is zero, interventions in cash take over. This is our New Nigeria with nobody to blame”.
Meanwhile, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has apologised for the delay in conducting English Language Paper 2 in the ongoing 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
In a statement by Moyosola Adesina, Acting Head of Public Affairs Department of WAEC, the council said that it encountered challenges.
“While maintaining the integrity and security of our examination, we faced considerable challenges primarily due to our major aim of preventing leakage of any paper.
“We recognise the importance of timely conduct of examinations and the impact of this decision on candidates, their schools and parents, and we sincerely apologise for any inconveniences caused,” WAEC stated.
It said that it successfully achieved its objective, but it inadvertently impacted the timeliness and seamless conduct of the examination.
“In spite of our best efforts, we encountered logistical hurdles, security concerns and socio-cultural factors that negatively influenced our operations,” WAEC said.
The council reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the highest standard in examination conduct and pledged to continue to promote academic excellence.
