WAEC bans private school teachers from supervising examinations

The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has banned teachers from private schools from supervising its examinations.

The ban has, however, angered Christian faith-based schools who say they are being targeted.

The President, Association of Christian schools in Nigeria Ekaete Ettang, stated this on Thursday in Jos, Plateau State, during a press conference, while reading a one page communiqué of a meeting attended by 82 proprietors affected by the decision of WAEC banning their staff from supervising examinations.

Mrs. Ettang said the decision of the national examination body must be reversed. She said if WAEC fails to do so, its members will boycott the national examinations.

“In view of the above, the association of Christian schools demand that WAEC cancels the order and revert to status quo where credible teachers from Christian schools in Nigeria were involved in the supervision of WAEC examination. Failure to do so, all Christian schools nationwide will withdraw from future WAEC examinations.”

“If WAEC dose not reverse this decision and planned implementation, all Christian schools will boycott future WAEC examination.”

The president of the association said the action of WAEC was an indictment on its staffers. She therefore demanded explanations from the national examination body and the Federal Ministry of Education.

“WAEC and ministries of education must provide statistics to show the trend in the examination malpractices across the schools, which forms the basis of their decision.”

Mrs. Ettang also demanded to know the law which banned its members from participating in the supervision of WAEC, pointing out that it was an indictment on the association.

“The Christian schools demand that the laws and legislations that prohibit teachers from Christian schools from supervising WAEC examinations be made available, as they have been participating in this process over the years based on written communication that are on record.”

She said her members have been of proven character while supervising past examinations, and have been up and doing in ensuring that all forms of examination malpractices are curtailed.

WAEC Responds

In its reaction, WAEC said the ban was on all private schools.

The head of public affairs of WAEC Nigeria, Demianus Ojijeogu, told PREMIUM TIMES that WAEC banned all private school teachers from supervising WAEC examinations in Nigeria, irrespective of their religion.

“We have recently uncovered that the said supervisors from private schools do aid exams malpractice, because they have nothing to lose. They have no pension nor gratuity from their employers, so most of them mainly look for money during national examinations.”

According to him, private schools WAEC supervisors have been found indulging in examination malpractices.

He directed aggrieved persons to contact the ministry of education for the reason for the ban.

Mr. Ojijeogu further explained, however, that any WAEC supervisor caught involved in malpractice will be punished, irrespective of the school the person in question is from.