Covid-19: Secondary schools to reopen August 4 as WASSCE begins August 17

The federal government announced on Monday that secondary school students in the exit classes will resume on Tuesday, August 4 in order to enable the students to prepare for the WASSCE which starts on Monday, August 17.

The change of heart by the federal government regarding the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) shows however, only for students in exit classes to sit for their examination. The government said students will have two weeks to prepare for the WASSCE, the exit examination administered by the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC).

The WASSCE examination will commence on Monday, August 17. The Nigerian government announced the latest decision at the end of a virtual consultative meeting between the Federal Ministry of Education, commissioners of education of the 36 states, the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), the proprietors of private schools, and Chief Executives of examination bodies. The latest decision was contained in a statement signed by the director of press and public relations of the federal education ministry, Ben Goong.

Goong said “stakeholders at the meeting agreed that the exit classes should resume immediately after the Sallah break, from the 4th of August, 2020 to enable them to prepare for the WAEC examinations scheduled to commence from the 17th of August, 2020. “The meeting also resolved that a passionate appeal be made to the Federal Government through the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 and publicspirited Nigerians for assistance to schools across the country to enable them to fast track the preparations of safe reopening, as agreed. “Another meeting is to be convened tomorrow between the Federal Ministry of Education and Chief Executives of examination bodies namely, NECO, NABTEB and NBAIS to harmonise their examination dates, which will be conveyed to stakeholders expeditiously by the Federal Ministry of Education”