Ghana Prepares for WASSCE as Nigeria Remains Undecided

The Ghana branch of the West Africa Examination Council’s preparations for 2020 WASSCE examinations appear to be in top gear as the Ghana office, yesterday Wednesday, July 8th, released the time table of the examination which is scheduled to start with Integrated Science on Monday 3rd August on its website. The examination is expected to end on 5th September.
 
In a radio interview in June, the Ghanaian Information, Minister Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, said WAEC has already given notice that general examinations have been suspended but it would provide support for countries that would want to organise their independent examinations.
 
The WASSCE is a standard examination organised by WAEC for senior school students in Anglophone West African countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Gambia.
 
On Monday the 29th of June, the Nigerian government announced a gradual “safe reopening” of schools after three months of closure, stating that the reopening was to afford students in transition classes prepare for their final examinations which WASSCE is part of. However, the Minister of Education, Mr Adamu Adamu, in a dramatic U-turn yesterday said no school under his ministry would reopen as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Minister said he would rather the students lose an academic year than lose their lives to the coronavirus.
 
The sudden change in the government decision has since thrown students into confusion, not sure of their fate in an examination that is less than a month away. WAEC Nigeria is yet to officially react to the statement credited to the minister.