The May/June 2020 West African Examination Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) has been postponed indefinitely due to the crisis in the education sector arising from the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Minister of State for Education, Hon. Emeka Nwajiuba, said on Tuesday during the briefing of the Presidential Task Force PTF on COVID-19 in Abuja that “the postponement is indefinite and as soon as we arrived at a definite time, we will recommunicate that. We will also be looking at what we will do in order for schools to reopen. As you recall, we asked that schools vacate in the late part of March as soon as the news of the Coronavirus pandemic broke.
“Currently, it will be coordinated efforts along with all the States because the lockdown, in various parts, has definitely affected how students and how teachers come to schools. So, it goes without saying that nobody can reopen schools except we coordinate all of that efforts. And we are asking all parents to please help us because at the point where we are now, we are saying that students can learn online as we have made a lot of provisions for them.”
The Minister said that currently, about 15 States have already commenced learning via the different channels that are available in their various States, which are mostly radio and local TV stations.
“What they are running is approved curriculum which is ongoing, though not all the States have started the programme. But, like Anambra, Lagos and other few States have started and the programming is timed. We are also working with the ministry of information through NTA and Radio Nigeria to then escalate what they normally have as their educational content, so that they can then provide for everybody as an ongoing program”
“We believe that those who are in private Primary, Secondary Schools already are and we are working with them to key into the resources that are available and all our platform that available to them. From the National, every resource we have is available to everybody. Our biggest challenge is how to reach children who do not have devices and who are at the rural areas of our communities and because they do not have the capacity, that is why we are pressing on with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria and NTA.
“As you aware, education is in concurrent matter on our Constitution and we can’t unilaterally impose some certain level of education participation on States. There must be some form of understanding. We have provided all the resources needed for SUBEC to do what they think is the best for their individual States. We are also, looking at what is required at the level of the tertiary education as most private universities already have an online platform at which they learn. We will be making resources available and assisting them.
He asked students and parents to visit their website to get every States’ schedule and timing and what broadcasting channel is available in the State.