Anthony Iwuoma
The Federal Government has finally released timetable for various national examinations, including the West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
This is contrary to earlier stand of the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, had said Nigerian schools would not reopen and thereby ruling out final year students from writing the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajuiba, on Wednesday in Abuja, announced the new directive after series of meetings with chief executives of examination bodies in the country.
While WASSCE will start on August 17 through November 18, 2020, the National Business and Technical Examination Board, NABTEB, examinations will start on the September 21 and end by October 15.
The Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, Bem Goong, released other details of the timetable, stating that: “The Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations, SSCE, for SS3, conducted by NECO will start on October 5 and end November 18. “The Basic Education Certificate Examinations, BECE, for JSS 3 also conducted by NECO, will start on August 24 and end September 7.
“Furthermore, the National Common Entrance Examination, NCEE, which is a one-day NECO examination for intending applicants into Unity Colleges (JSS1) will run in-between the Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations, i.e. on Saturday, October 17.
“Registration for the NECO (SSCE), which is ongoing, will end on September 10 and there shall be no extension for the registration whatsoever. “The statement further indicated that the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies, NBAIS, examinations will commence on Wednesday, September 23, and end October 17.
“The Minister, therefore, directed all examination bodies to release details of their examination timetables in the next seven days.”