Parents, Teachers association to meet with FG over cancelled WAEC

Parents have expressed confusion over the statement by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, saying schoolchildren in Nigeria would not sit for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) slated for August 4 due to COVID-19.

The Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, had last Monday announced that the 2020 WASSCE conducted by WAEC would hold between August 4 and September 5.

But in a u-turn, Adamu said on Wednesday that all federal schools would remain closed until it was safe to reopen them. He also urged state governments that had announced school resumption plans to rescind such.

In an interview with The Punch, National President, National Parents Teachers’ Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, said they would meet with the Minister of Education on Monday to find a solution.

Danjuma said parents were confused and that they would seek an audience with the government on the matter.

According to NAPTAN president, parents and schools are willing to put measures in place such as the provision of face masks, handwashing containers and hand sanitizers to minimize the risks of virus contraction by the pupils.

He said: “Surprisingly, we heard from the Federal Ministry of Education that the government has suspended the reopening of schools. This is very confusing; we don’t know what to do. We are waiting for whatever will come after this.

On our side at NAPTAN, we are planning to go to the ministry and meet with the minister or his representatives to hear from them. It should be on Monday.” he said.