WAEC Warns Schools Against Extorting Students for Certificates, Promises Repercussions As SSCE Begins

By Eric Elezuo

The Nigeria Head of National Office, West Africa Examination Council (WAEC), Dr. Amos Josiah Dangut, has sounded a note of warning to schools in the habit of extortiing money from their students in the name of paying for certificates, to desist from the act henceforth, or face repercussions.

The HNO gave the warning while addressing members of the media on the conduct of the 2024 Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) due to kick-start on April 30, 2024 in four member countries of the Council including Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.

He noted that the public and the media have not been coming forward with reports of School indulging in the act, and that explains why the hammer has not fallen on some erring schools.

“The more you fail to report the schools involved, the more the act continues, so we encourage you to name schools involved in the act,” he said.

The HNO further noted that the examination, which will last a duration of seven weeks and six days will test a total of One Million, Eight Hundred and Fourteen Thousand, Three Hundred and Forty-Four (1, 814, 344) candidates from Twenty-Two Thousand Two Hundred and Twenty-Nine ( 22,229) schools, whose entries were received. Candidates will be tested in 76 subjects, spread into 197 papers during the period of the examination.

Of much importance, the HNO announced that the results of the SSCE will be released 45 days after the last paper, while the certificates for the students will be printed, and released to the schools 90 days after the release of the results, urging schools to release the certificates to the students-owners without any charges as their registration fees has already accommodated the charges for the certificates.

While advising parents and guardians to encourage their wards to study diligently and desist from engaging in any form of examination malpractice, Mr. Dangut tasks students to take advantage of all the educational platforms created by WAEC to ensure their success, such as the e-learning portal.