The National Parents Teachers’ Association of Nigeria has expressed displeasure and utter state of confusion about the proclamation by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, that schoolchildren nationwide would not participate in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination supposedly slated for August 4 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NAPTAN National President, Alhaji Haruna Danjuma, disclosed this in an interview on Thursday, July 9, 2020.
He said the association resolved to meet Adamu today, Monday July 13, 2020 to seek an amicable solution.
It was recalled that NAPTAN in the last week of May called on the government to reopen schools nationwide “to pupils who will be sitting external examinations of the West African Examinations Council and the National Examinations Council.”
According to the association, parents had resolved to work together with schools to put measures in place. Like the provision of face masks, handwashing containers and hand sanitisers to minimise the risks of virus contraction by the pupils.
While reacting to Adamu’s directive that students would not participate in the WASSCE this year, Danjuma said parents were confused. They would seek an audience with the government on the matter.
“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.
Recently, the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, announced during the press briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 last Monday that the 2020 WASSCE conducted by WAEC would hold between August 4 and September 5.
Adamu, however, said on Wednesday, that all federal schools would remain closed until it was safe to reopen them.
He also urged state governments that had earlier announced school resumption plans to revoke such.
