Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba also maintained that the Federal Government has not committed any policy somersault over its decision to stop students in the 104 unity schools across the country from writing this year’s West African Senior Secondary School Examination, WASSCE, scheduled for August 5 to September 5.
Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, has last week said no school under his supervision will participate in the exams.
He said that Nigerian schools will not reopen any time soon until it is safe to do so because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nwajiuba, at yesterday’s briefing said: “The PTF never said here that they were reopening any school. They only provided that assurance and that guidance.
“After FEC on Wednesday, Mallam Adamu Adamu, advised the public that based on information that the PTF and NCDC has proffered, that the Unity Colleges, because those are only 104 out of 19,129 schools that he will not agree and in fact it is not advisable. He goes further to advise that we do not open those institutions for the use of exams. And perhaps, he advised since it was WAEC that proposed those dates we will be engaging WAEC to reconsider the dates.
“However, he said he is not in charge of private schools and schools that fall under the concurrent list and, therefore, devolve to sub-nationals who can take a decision as to what will happen to their state own schools and whether they can participate or not.
“How anyone can read that as inconsistent or at difference with what we have consistently advocated and provided at this platform is something that beats my imagination. And I asked the country to please reconsider those kinds of assumptions because they are not true. What he has said is in tune with the guidelines released today.”
Asked if he was implying that only unity schools were exempted from righting WAEC and that others could go ahead and write the exams, he responded: “For clarity, Mallam said, the 104 schools are not available. He does not have control over the governors, it will be unconstitutional to say he can tell the governors what to do.”