FG postpones WAEC and NECO indefinitely due to coronavirus pandemic, reveals roadmap for online learning

– 2020 WAEC and NECO examinations have been indefinitely postponed by the federal government

– The decision to suspend the major examinations was due to the coronavirus pandemic in the country

– FG says provisions have been made for online learning as schools will still be under lock and key amid the Covid-19 pandemic current ravaging the world. The federal government has indefinitely postponed the Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) for 2020. Emeka Nwajubu, Minister of State for Education, on Tuesday, April 121, made the disclosure in Abuja while reeling out the federal government’s education roadmap during coronavirus period. The minister said that provision is headway for the students to study online as both the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) will not hold at their fixed time due to the coronavirus outbreak. “WAEC and NECO for the year have been postponed indefinitely. Students can learn online. We have made a lot of provisions for that,” Nwajubu said. “The director of FCT has also opened a portal for the process. We are working with the ministry of information to escalate education content to provide for everyone at home. “Our biggest challenge is to reach children who do not have devices but we are working with radio corporations to instil some of that for primary and secondary students.” The decision to postpone the senior school exams came after coronavirus took a dangerous dimension on the country. Nigeria presently has 782 cases with 197 patients discharged while 25 people have died as a result of the disease which has Lagos as its epicentre in Nigeria. Earlier, some state governments have adopted radio broadcast option for learning since all schools have been on lockdown since the outbreak of the virus in the country in February. Patrick Ehidiamen Areghan, WAEC’s head of national office in Nigeria, on Friday, March 20, said that the examination earlier fixed to begin on Monday, April 6, across member nations will no longer be conducted as planned. In a statement, Areghan said: “This decision is a demonstration of the organisation’s concern and support for the various protocols being put in place by the federal and state governments of Nigeria and the governments of the other member countries to check the spread of the disease.”