Judex Okoro, Calabar
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is advocating the deployment of e-teaching in public schools in Nigeria in order to conform to global standards and also help usher in e-assessment of public examinations in Nigeria.
The regional examinations body made the call during a press briefing, in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, to officially announce the release of results of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for private candidates.
Speaking, head of the Nigeria National Office of the body, Olu Isaac Adenipekun, said that the body is constrained in introducing electronic assessment in its public examinations in the country because of the absence of e-learning in public schools.
He said, “We must go back to the classroom to find out what is the level of e-teaching that is going on.
“It is only when we have electronic teaching that we can also be talking confidently of electronic assessment.
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“So, we must have e-learning going on in the schools before we go ahead to talk about e-assessment.
“Otherwise, if we should go ahead to say that all candidates must answer our question using computers, and this is not what the students had been exposed to in the classroom, then we are no longer doing what is required which is achievement test, we will then be seen to be doing aptitude test which is completely different.
“e-learning is very important and is being used globally and so there is need for us to begin to consider the introduction and deployment of technology in the business of teaching, learning and assessment.
“We as a body, we have even started setting up computer-based testing centres in Nigeria, and with this, we are also showing the need for the nation to look very critically in this area”, he said.
He further disclosed that the examinations body is partnering with government to see how they can set up modern examination centres across all the country and in modern examination hall.
According to Adenipekun, a total of 112, 567 candidates registered for the examination in Nigeria of which 109,902 sat for the examination.
“Out of the 109, 902 candidates who sat for the examinations, 63,037 candidates representing 57.36% credit and above in a minimum of five subjects while 39,557 candidates, representing 35.99%, obtained credits and above in minimum of five subjects including English Language and Mathematics”, he said.
He said 107, 749 candidates representing 98.04% of candidates had their results fully processed and released while 2,153 candidates representing 1.96% have a few of their subjects still being processed due to errors traceable to the candidates in the course of registration or writing the examinations.