By Felix Khanoba
The Federal Government has engaged the National Examination Council (NECO) and the National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB) to harmonise new dates for their respective annual examination.
The decision to engage the examination bodies comes on the heels of the announcement of 17 August 2020 for commencement of this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
A statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday by Mr Ben Bem Goong, Director of Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, said secondary schools have been directed to open for exit classes from 4 August, 2020.
The statement read: “Students will have two weeks within which to prepare for the West African Examinations (WAEC) due to start on the 17th of August, 2020.
“These were the unanimous decisions reached today at a virtual consultative meeting between the Federal Ministry of Education, Honourable Commissioners of Education of the 36 states, the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), the proprietors of private schools and Chief Executives of examination bodies.
“It was agreed that the exit classes should resume immediately after the Sallah break, from the 4th of August, 2020 to enable them prepare for the WAEC examination scheduled to commence from the 17th of August, 2020.
“The meeting also resolved that a passionate appeal be made to the Federal Government through the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 and public spirited Nigerians for assistance to schools across the country to enable them fast track the preparations safe reopening, as agreed.
“Another meeting is to be convened tomorrow between the Federal Ministry of Education and Chief Executives of examination bodies namely, NECO, NABTEB and NBAIS to harmonise their examination dates, which will be conveyed to stakeholders expeditiously by the Federal Ministry of Education.”
