WAEC Holds in FCT Schools Despite Ongoing Teachers’ Strike

WAEC Holds in FCT Schools Despite Ongoing Teachers’ Strike

Senior secondary school students in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have begun their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) despite the ongoing strike by primary and secondary school teachers across the territory.

Checks by Daily Trust on Tuesday showed that SS3 students sat for practical papers in several schools, even as regular academic activities remained largely paralysed due to the industrial action.

At Government Secondary School Kwali, candidates were seen writing their practical examinations under the supervision of invigilators. A teacher, Mrs Rosemary Akindele, said the strike had no bearing on the conduct of the exams.

“The ongoing teachers’ strike has nothing to do with the students writing WAEC because this is an external examination,” she said.

Similar scenes were observed at Government Secondary School Hajj Camp Gwagwalada, where students also took part in practical tests. An invigilator, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that candidates began with Food and Nutrition practical.

Students were equally present for the examination at Government Girls Secondary School Dutse and Government Secondary School Kubwa 2 in Bwari Area Council.

However, at Government Secondary School Phase 3 Kubwa, there were no candidates on ground at the time of visit. A school official explained that the development was due to the absence of students offering the practical subject scheduled for the day.

The official added that the school would fully participate in the main examination slated to commence on April 27, noting that revision exercises had been concluded before the strike began.

He stressed that the examination, conducted by the West African Examinations Council, should not be disrupted by a strike limited to the FCT.

At the same time, the teachers’ strike continued to affect normal school operations across the territory. Visits to several schools showed locked classrooms and deserted premises, with only security personnel and striking teachers present.

In some locations, union members were seen stationed at school gates, enforcing compliance with the strike directive.

A teacher, Gabriel Moses, said the industrial action would persist until authorities respond to their demands.

“We are abiding by the directive of the FCT NUT; no retreat, no surrender until the minister addresses our demands,” he said.

Efforts to get official comments from the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in the FCT were unsuccessful, as the chairman, Comrade Mohammed Abdullahi Shafas, said he was in a meeting.

School administrators maintained that the strike would not disrupt the conduct of WAEC examinations, as arrangements had been put in place to ensure students complete their papers.
Source: Daily Trust.