Students writing WAEC exams
The West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC) has assured that the upcoming nationwide strike, set to commence on Monday, will not disrupt the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Mrs. T. A. Y. Lawson, the Branch Controller for Ekiti State, conveyed this in a letter addressed to school principals and heads across the state.
In her letter titled “Notice of Commencement of Indefinite Strike by NLC and TUC” (reference number EK/BC/SC/EXAM/07/Vol.1/89), Lawson emphasized that the examinations will proceed as planned despite the strike organized by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
“The attention of Management has been drawn to a notice of the Commencement of Indefinite Strike by NLC and TUC effective, Monday, 3rd June 2024. Please be formally informed that the conduct of WASSCE SC 2024 goes on as scheduled,” Lawson stated.
The WASSCE exams began on April 30 and are set to conclude on June 20, 2024. Lawson highlighted the importance of ensuring that students are not disadvantaged by the industrial action, which stems from a breakdown in negotiations over a proposed new minimum wage.
“In as much as we share the concerns of the unions and the generality of Nigerians, the WASSCE SC is going on across the member Countries of WAEC and the Nigerian Child should not be put to a disadvantage of missing the exam,” Lawson asserted.
She called on school principals, supervisors, parents, and the general public to make necessary arrangements to ensure that candidates can sit for their exams as scheduled. “For the aforesaid reason, WAEC will conduct the exam and School Principals, supervisors, parents and the general public should please take note and make adequate arrangements for their candidates to sit the exam,” she concluded.
The announcement comes as a relief to students and parents concerned about the potential impact of the strike on the examination process. The ongoing industrial action highlights broader tensions between the government and labor unions over wage issues, but WAEC’s commitment to maintaining the exam schedule aims to minimize the disruption to students’ education.