WAEC BEGINS REGISTRATION FOR 2017 CANDIDATES

As the registration of candidates for the 2017 West African Senior School Certificate Examination begins, parents whose children sat for the examinations in Ogun public schools in the year under review have become deeply worried over the withheld results.


In separate interviews with our correspondent, some parents, Senior Secondary School 3 pupils and 2016 WASSCE candidates resident in Akute, Ajuwon, Ijoko and Iganmode communities in Ogun State, expressed frustrastion over the delay in the release of the results.

A resident of Ota, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, described the Ogun government’s failure to pay the examination body on time as a deliberate attempt to frustrate pupils.

He  claimed that his son sat for the examination at Iganmode Grammar School, Ota.

He said, “My son scored 214 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations and we had hoped that he would be able to gain admission into a higher institution this year. But our hope was dashed, because his result was withheld.  Even if the result is released now, the damage has already been done already,” he said.

Another parent, Mr. Oluwasesan Ajayi, noted that a government that had its people’s interest at heart would not be expected to handle the future of the youths with such levity.

“I had to encourage my son to stop worrying and to focus on preparing for the forthcoming examinations.  He was concerned about how to continue his education without delay, should the situation reoccur,” he said.

Also, Mrs. Olajumoke Afeez said, “The fact that our government was indebted to WAEC and the body withheld results of affected candidates has dampened the morale of some of us.  We can’t be so sure of what will happen to those who are now enrolling for WASSCE.”

Nevertheless, some of the SSS 3 pupils, who said their parents could not afford to enrol them in private schools or pay the National Examinations Council fee as an alternative, stated their determination to continue to prepare for the 2017 WASSCE, believing that Governor Ibikunle Amosun would not let them down.

However, the state’s Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mrs. Modupe Mujota, when contacted, said that the government had resolved the matter with WAEC.

She said, “WAEC has been paid and they are working on the process of releasing their results.”

Also, the Head of the National Office of the WAEC, Mr. Olu Adenipekun, recently said that the council was working to release the results of the affected candidates in Ogun and other states.