The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu has said that the West African Examination Council, WAEC, cannot determine for the Federal Ministry of Education what it should do with regard to reopening of schools in the country.
He stated this while addressing State House Press Corps after the Federal Executive Council, FEC meeting which held in Abuja on Wednesday.
Adamu’s statement was in apparent reference to media reports, which followed WAEC’s fixation of August 4 to September 14 as examination dates for graduating senior and junior secondary school students.
“I don’t know whether you journalists are misquoting the Minister of State for Education or maybe quoting what WAEC said and made it into a story. Schools under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Education will not be opened on August 4 or anytime soon,” the said emphatically.
According to him, “WAEC is a parastatal of the Ministry of Education, they cannot determine for the government what it does. We will not open soon for examination or for any reason, unless it is safe for our children, even WAEC. WAEC will not determine for us what we do. Schools will remain closed.
“Our schools will only open when we believe it’s safe for our children and that is when the situation is right, not when the incidence of the infection is going up in the nation. I just want to make it clear,” Adamu stated.
He added that the examination body announced the dates for exams only when stakeholders meeting still on on the issue.
“Yesterday we called on stakeholders who will tell us the situation and the way it should be done for it to be safe. While the meeting was going on, WAEC announced that they are starting examinations. Let’s see who they are going to start with.”
The Minister advised state governments that had fixed dates for reopening of schools to consider the safety of the children.
“Iwill also like to use this position to ask those states that have already announced (reopening), I appeal to them. I think it is not safe. I feel responsible for all children, not just those who are in federal government controlled schools. Please let’s save our children from this.
“One infected child is enough to infect a whole class. When they close from class they go into the dormitory, this is not the right time to open schools. I appeal to the states that have already announced to reconsider it,” he stated.
When asked if Nigeria will be the only country to miss out of the WAEC examinations, he said, “me as Minister of Education, if I am given the chance, I don’t mind Nigeria losing a whole school year than exposing our children to danger.”
