The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) says the COVID-19 pandemic will not prevent the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) from taking place.
The Ghana Office of WAEC said preparations are far under way for students to sit for the examination.
WASSCE was originally scheduled to start in May but was postponed because of the health crisis across member countries.
Until recently, several schools had been shut down to help prevent the virus from spreading through educational institutions.
However, WAEC released a fresh timetable for this year’s WASSCE this week, announcing that the exams will begin on 20 July.
Nigeria opts out
Earlier in the week, the Nigerian government said its students will not take part in WASCCE even if WAEC should insist on holding the examination despite the pandemic.
Reacting to this, the Ghana Office of WAEC noted that other West African nations have not pulled out of the examination.
The head of public relations for WAEC, Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, confirmed that the exams will go ahead as planned.
Ghana and the other WAEC member countries apart from Nigeria support the decision to hold the WASSCE exam.
“We are focused in our preparation for the examination because the Ghana government has not communicated to us anything to the contrary,” Mrs Teye-Cudjoe told the Daily Graphic.
COVID concerns
Earlier in the week, the Nigerian government announced that it would not risk the lives of students for the sake of WASSCE.
Adamu Adamu, that because of the COVID-19 pandemic schools will remain closed “until it is safe” to resume teaching in the classroom. Education minister, said
Adamu said Nigeria will not allow WAEC to determine the resumption date of schools when the COVID-19 pandemic is still prevalent.
The education minister made these comments while addressing State House correspondents after a meeting of the Federal Executive Council (cabinet) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“I feel responsible for the children in Nigeria, not just those in federal government-controlled schools. Please let us save our children from the pandemic,” the minister said.
“You can look at this scenario: just one infected child going into a class can infect everyone in the class. And after classes, they go back to the hostel. Because children cannot observe social distancing as expected, if one child in the hostel is infected, the next morning everybody will be infected.
“So, this is not the right time to open schools,” the minister argued.
E A Alanore
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