FG Stops WAEC, Reverses Course On School Resumption

The Federal Government has temporarily cancelled this year’s secondary schools leaving exams conducted by the West African Examination Council.

The government has also reversed course on the planned resumption of school for students in their last years of primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools.

The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, said on Wednesday that the government was willing to sacrifice one year of academic calendar to protect students from the coronavirus.

He was speaking shortly after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Schools, he said would not reopen any time soon until it is safe to open them.

The WAEC exams were originally meant to hold in May but couldn’t because of the outbreak of the coronavirus and were later scheduled to hold between August 5 and September 4.

Mr. Adamu said the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) couldn’t be the one determining factor for the government when schools in the country should reopen, adding that he would prefer students lose one academic year, than expose them to COVID-19.