Significant administrative delays have disrupted the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), forcing secondary school candidates in several centers to write crucial papers late into the night. This troubling development has sparked intense anxiety among parents, school administrators, and regional education stakeholders.
Independent checks across multiple examination centers in Lagos State, particularly within the Lagos Island and Lekki axes, revealed that the logistics failure worsened significantly this week. The recurring incident mimics last year’s examination hitches where candidates sat for highly technical subjects until midnight under poor lighting conditions.
On Monday, Physics Papers 2 and 1, which were officially scheduled to hold between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., failed to commence on time, forcing students to start the examination at 8:00 p.m. Similarly, on Wednesday, General Mathematics candidates faced severe disruptions, concluding their objective papers around 10:00 p.m. instead of the afternoon.
Stakeholders lament psychological trauma
As of Thursday evening, thousands of candidates scheduled for the Agricultural Science Practical were still waiting helplessly for examination materials to arrive at their centers. An anonymous school principal expressed deep disappointment over the logistical failure, emphasizing that the delays inflict severe psychological trauma on the students.
“Why are we experiencing this again after what happened last year? Apart from the security concerns in the country, these delays have psychological effects on candidates,” the frustrated principal lamented. A worried parent in the Lekki area also criticized the examination body, stating that her child returned home exposed to night security risks at 10:00 p.m.
When contacted regarding the systemic hitches, an anonymous WAEC official confirmed that the council is fully aware of the operational challenges. The official blamed unforeseen circumstances for the disruptions and assured the public that the council is working tirelessly to normalize the situation.
This educational crisis reflects widespread complaints documented by The Guardian Nigeria and Vanguard News.
