The Nigerian government has stirred reactions following the suspension of school reopening for graduating classes.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, on Wednesday after the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC meeting presided by President Muhammadu Buhari also announced that 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, has been postponed indefinitely for Nigerian students.
Adamu stressed that it is more preferable for the students to lose an academic year than to be exposed to dangers amid coronavirus pandemic.
The new development has been met with criticism and diverse reactions from Nigerians on social media.
Some have expressed worries that the delays in opening of schools and not allowing students undertake WAEC exams will have a ripple effect on those in previous classes and universities.
Read Also: Nigerian Govt Postpones School Resumption, 2020 WASSCE Indefinitely
Here are some comments gathered from Twitter;
@ProfCS5 “What happened to pool testing WAEC candidates and letting them write their exams? We need to find a way to live with this virus! Knee jerk reactions will not save us!
@Dtraveller01 “It is only Nigeria that is claiming not ready to reopen school among the 5 West Africa member countries. Ghana with worse COVID-19 cases has been ready more than a month ago to take the exam. Don’t just lock the school, what actions are you taking to reopen schools?”
@Sirvhik “Our universities barely admit 30% of UTME applicants. So I don’t think postponing the exams and increasing the number of applicants is a good idea at all.”
@Akinolafestus “Level of risk taken differs. What do we lose if WAEC is delayed till January or Feb 2021. Higher education too cannot resume. The best is to shift everything forward including University/polytechnic admission forward.”
@FreddyMarshall “At least, the government won’t be liable for children’s health.”
@HisMkay “My problem is not this SS3, the next coming SS3.One year has been removed from your classes. You guys will repeat SS2 or there will be SS4.”
@NiyiOyinlola “We can reopen schools, the guidelines needs to be improved. All final year students from primary to tertiary institutions have enough space to do anything they need to do.”
@Samisah01 “Dead people don’t get degrees. I am personally affected by this closure as a teaching staff but to be honest, we have to consider safety before anything else. Only the living can go to school.”
@OgbeniDipo “It is very unfortunate that students won’t be taking WAEC this year. So they would potentially lose a year because of coronavirus. As unfortunate as it is, most people will agree that it is what it is and there is nothing the government can do, if schools cannot be safely opened.
“The Federal Government and National Assembly will have to find a way to compensate students who will miss WAEC this year. Perhaps for next year, allow anyone with 150 & above in JAMB exam get into the university of their choice. There are no easy solutions.”
@Chidi Peter “I agree. It’s only when we are alive that we can go to school. The dead cannot go to school.”
@OforPeter “Do these people somehow believe that school children are locked indoors in their respective homes. Or that this corona virus is concentrated in schools?
@FatopeTilewa “But these students are already in the market helping their parents, some are even going to tutorial already, so why can’t they go to school?”
