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Tag: WASSCE

  • WASSCE fraud

    WASSCE fraud

    •Punishment must await Ogun State government officials who carted away examination fees

    Based on a tip-off, the Ogun State government set up a panel of inquiry to investigate allegations of fraud said to be going on in the state ministry of education, science and technology. By the time the panel submitted its report on Tuesday, it discovered, to its chagrin, that the state government had been fleeced to the tune of about N231million. The drain pipe, according to the panel, was the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) fees which the state government pays for final year secondary school students in its public schools, as part of its free education policy. About 3,571 “external candidates” were said to have been fraudulently added to the list of the legitimate beneficiaries by the school principals and their collaborators in the ministry. The WASSCE fraud cost the state government about N31,608,876 which the perpetrators were alleged to have collected after the government had paid the total amount.

    This is stunning considering the fact that Ogun State is not particularly buoyant and one would have expected that public officials would join the government in judiciously managing the scarce resources. It is particularly sad that this is happening in a ministry of education and in collaboration with teachers who are supposed to be exemplars of morality and integrity to the students they are supposed to teach. As they say, “if gold rusts, what would iron do?” Years back, the society looked on to teachers as the compass through which they had direction on anything noble; the teaching profession itself was then seen as conservative and the concept of the ‘village headmaster’ still resounds nostalgically in the hearts of those who knew what the profession was like then.

    This fraudulent practice is not peculiar to Ogun State. Early in the year, the Osun State government suspended the Principal of Community High School, Eripa, Mr. T. A. Afolabi, along with some teachers, for allegedly ‘smuggling’ the names of six candidates into the school’s Senior Secondary School certificate examination list. The inference from all these is that it is probably a pervasive practice in places where the state governments have taken the burden of paying for the examinations off the parents. Of course, taking the WASSCE fee off the parents is not done in isolation; it is only part of the measures taken by the respective governments to encourage parents to send their wards to school and also ensure that no one is denied education on account of their parents’ inability to pay one fee or the other. This is a kind gesture that should be commended.

    It is unfortunate that some Nigerians would want to make a mess of such laudable actions taken by governments to ameliorate the sufferings of citizens. In the Ogun State incident alone, the state government was said to have lost a colossal N231million over a three-year period to the WASSCE fee fraudsters in its ministry of education, science and technology, as well as through various sums of money found to have been held illegally by certain officials of the ministry. We know that this is only a reflection of the deep-seated corruption in the country. We can only imagine what the government could have done with the N231million!

    We do not know what the panel recommended as sanctions against the affected officials, but it is clear that the allegations are serious. Therefore, the suspects must not be treated with kid gloves. The state government should get them prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others in the state and elsewhere. Corruption has festered in the country because it is hardly punished. The earlier the appropriate message is passed across to people with itchy palms, the better for the country.

  • WASSCE: Ogun discovers 3,571 illegal enrolment

    The Ogun State government has discovered that 3,571 external candidates were registered for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in the last three years.

    The administrative panel investigating the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said this yesterday while submitting its report to the Head of Service, Mrs. Modupe Adekunle.

    The panel’s Chairman, Alhaji Abdul-Fatai Opebiyi, said the fraud cost the government, which has been paying the WASSCE fee of pupils, N31,608,876.

    Opebiyi said it was discovered that money was illegally collected by certain officers of the ministry.

    The panel was set up following a petition alleging fraudulent activities on the payment of WASSCE fees.

    It recommended sanctions for the indicted officers and suggested ways to prevent a recurrence.

    Mrs. Adekunle hailed the panel members for doing a good job, saying their recommendations would be looked into.

  • 150 pupils graduate in style

    The premises of the African Church Model College, Ifako-Ijaiye wore a cheerful look for the 13th valedictory service held penultimate Thursday.

    The school hall was decorated with blue and white drapes with a touch of gold. The graduating pupils looked smart in navy blue blazer suits, white shirts and red ties. The girls styled their hair beautifully and the boys had nice hair cuts. Their teachers wore black suits, dark blue shirts and wine ties. Parents were not left out as they were attired in their best traditional and English apparels.

    The principal of the school, Mr Olanrewaju Ogunkola, gave glory to God for making the event a reality. He said the graduands should be celebrated for their doggedness and determination even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

    He thanked parents for their belief and contribution to the growth of the school. He also urged them to counsel and not leave their wards on their own as they are vulnerable to outside influences.

    The guest speaker, Ven. Kayode Odusola, told the graduands to be conscious of the decisions they make as it will be recorded as part of their story.

    “Life is like a book and it can only be interesting if we read it in chapters; so your life in this school is getting to a close and you are about to open a new chapter of your life. Be cautious of how you open the next chapter because you are moving to experience new set of situations in life,” he said.

    Ven. Odusola urged the pupils to remember their alma mater, embrace hard work and move closer to God in their quest for greatness in life.

    He thanked God for the success recorded in the school since Ogunkola took over as principal, including recording 95 per cent pass in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    Prizes were presented to the best pupils from JSS1-SS3, with many parents applauding because of their wards’ performance.

    The programme, officiated by Mr. Richard Aganga and Mr Toba Odelade, also featured presentations by the school choir and the Igbo and Yoruba cultural groups, news broadcast from the school press club and the launch of the school magazine.

    After prayers for the school and the outgoing pupils by the School Chaplain Rev S.O. Olanloye, the programme ended with the recessional Hymn, I am pressing on.

     

  • Wellspring celebrates WASSCE result

    The 2013 Valedictory Service/Prize giving of Wellspring College, Omole Phase 2, gave the Principal, Mrs Oluwayemisi Oloriade the opportunity to celebrate the school’s performance in the 2012 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    In her speech, Mrs Oloriade said the school recorded 100 per cent credit passes in 65 per cent of the 20 subjects written by its SS3 candidates. Only Mathematics recorded 54 per cent and she promised parents that performance in the subject will be better this year.

    She said: “In the midst of dwindling academic performance across the country, analysis of the 2012 WAEC result of the school shows 100 per cent credit in 13 subjects (Literature, Commerce, Physics, Agricultural Science, Technical Drawing, Accounts, Christian Religious Knowledge, French, Visual Arts, Government, Food and Nutrition, Music and Geography) above 90 per cent in four subjects (English Language, Biology, Economics and Yoruba) 89 per cent in Igbo Language, 87 per cent in Chemistry and 54 per cent in Mathematics. By the grace of God, the result of Mathematics in the just concluded 2013 WAEC examination will be very impressive.”

    Pupils from other classes defied the rain to present cultural songs and dances to bid their beloved SS3 seniors farewell at the event. The graduands, looking resplendent in black suits and blue sashes draped across their shoulders also joined in the dancing. Some of them stood out during the programme, including a set of triplets, Chimdike Okebugwu and his sisters, Ihunayachi and Olumachi. They are the first set of triplets siblings to graduate from the 10-year old school.

    In an interview with The Nation, the trio said they have gained admission to study in different universities in Ghana.

    Overall best graduand, Oluwatobiloba Alatise also stood out for his brilliance. The teenager told The Nation that he was leaving Wellspring very motivated to be the Valedictorian of the Covenant University(CU), Ota, where he has been accepted to study Accounting.

  • WAEC extends SSCE registration

    WAEC extends SSCE registration

    The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has extended the normal entry registration period for the November/December 2013 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for private candidates to July 31.

    A statement signed by the council’s Deputy Director (Public Affairs), Mr. Yusuf Ari, noted that the late entry period is now from August 1 to 9.

    Accordingly, it noted that intending candidates can purchase the registration materials, including Personal Identification Number (PIN), from the selected banks – First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Skye Bank Plc, Enterprise Bank Plc and Zenith Bank Plc.

  • Attendance central to writing WASSCE, says Osun Deputy Governor

    Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori has enforced a high school attendance by senior secondary pupils as a precedence to allowing them sit for the May/June 2013 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    She made this statement in Osogbo during an interactive session with principals of secondary schools.

    She lamented that rather than attend school some pupils resort to commercial motorcycle operations during school hours.

    “A student who refuses to comply with the 90 per cent attendance requirement would not be allowed to sit for the final examinations,” she said

    She urged principals to be diligent with record keeping. This would enable them establish the identity of those who stayed away from classes.

    The Deputy Governor also said the government’s investment in education is paying off as performance in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) improved by 76.42 per cent in 2011.

    In 2010, she said only 6,773 out of the 44, 388 candidates who sat for the May/June WASSCE made credit in five subjects including English and Mathematics.

    In 2011 May/June WASSCE, her first year in the saddle as the Commissioner for Education, she said 11, 949 of the 54, 810 pupils that sat for the examination recorded credit level passes in five subjects including English and Mathematics, which she said showed a 76.4 per cent increase in performance.

    Counseling pupils to be serious, she said they cannot be indifferent to their studies and still expect excellent results in their academic pursuits.

    Mrs. Laoye-Tomori advised principals to be friendly with the community and ensure their pupils are not deployed as political thugs during elections.

    She urged principals to be honest in their dealings and stop illegal registration of candidates from private schools to take the WASSCE in public schools .

    In her presentation, President, Osun State Chapter of the All Nigerian Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools ANCOPSS, Mrs. Moji Olagunju, advised that the office of the Tutor-Generals should be saddled with the administration of schools’ grants. She requested for increased funding for capacity building and solicited for the employment of non- academic members of staff. She intimated the deputy governor about the resolution at a meeting of principals to punish any of their colleagues found guilty in examinations mishap.

    In a another development, Mrs Laoye Tomori assured a gathering of the Association of Proprietors and Heads of Schools in Nigeria, Osun State Chapter that the re-categorisation of schools in the state would not lead to job loss. She urged head teachers to desist from peddling rumours about retrenchment .

     

  • Fashola: WASSCE pass rate moved from 7 to 39% in six years

    Fashola: WASSCE pass rate moved from 7 to 39% in six years

    While Lagos State seeks to improve performance in public examination, Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola said the government is also aiming to equip products of also aims skills to function in the labour market.

    Speaking at an awards programme to reward private sector partners of the Support our Schools initiative last Thursday, Fashola praised their intervention, which he said have complemented government’s efforts to revive the dwindling fortunes of the education sector.

    With the government’s investment in infrastructural development of schools, teacher training, provision of grants directly to school through the Eko Secondary Education Project, in addition to private sector endowments, Fashola said performance in the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) has increased from seven per cent in 2007 to 39 in 2012.

    He said: “We have walked quite a useful distance and the impact is there for all to see. It pleases me to be here every year and the hall is filled even when there is no food and music from Sunny Ade. It is a testament to our commitment.

    “I am happy to report to you that the impact is already being felt. And if we take the base measurement for determining whether or not we are doing well, the WAEC result shows we are making progress. In 2007, seven per cent of our students made five credits in the WASSCE. In 2008, it was 11 per cent; 2009, 18; 2010, 21; 2011, 19 and 2012, 39 per cent.

    “We are not where we want to be but if we can double our performance this year, we can heave that sigh of relief that we are back to where we were before.”

    However, beyond good grades, Fashola said students must have skills that satisfy employers and can earn them incomes if they choose to be self employed.

    “It is important now that we must produce graduates with economical skills in areas where they are needed. That is why we are reviewing the curriculum,” he said.

    In her welcome address, Education Commissioner, Mrs Olayinka Oludunjoye said the five-year old initiative has grown into a veritable partnership between the government and the private sector. She thanked the various partners for their support.

    “This partnership, which started five years ago, has grown to become an enduring one. When we brought the Support Our Schools initiative before you as a vehicle for you to support the sector, we knew that we were towing the right path. You did not only respond, you have done so overwhelmingly. I thank you for all your support,” she said.

    Institutions, individuals and organisations rewarded in three categories included: House on the Rock, Access Bank, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Nigeria Breweries Plc, Julius Berger, Nigerite, Chief Kessington Adebutu and Samsung Engineering Academy among others.

     

  • Ghanaians dominate 2012 WASSCE

    •79.7 per cent of candidates were Nigerians

    Three Ghanaian candidates have again claimed the top prizes for outstanding performance in last year’s May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    The exam had almost 80 per cent of the candidates from Nigeria.

    The top three positions were once dominated by Nigerians in the 80s and 90s but Ghanaians have been dominating recently.

    A statement by Biodun Aduloju, Head, Public Affairs, Department, WAEC Headquarters, Accra, Ghana, yesterday, said the Ghanaians were rewarded at the opening of the 61st Annual Meeting of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in Banjul, The Gambia, between March 18 and 22.

    The trio, honoured with the WAEC International Excellence Award, were Miss Yvette Yeboah-Kordieh (1st Prize), Master Josbert Abaasa Ayambire (2nd Prize) and Master Bright Seyram Tsevi (3rd Prize).

    They were the best among the 1,936,728 candidates who wrote the examination in The Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

    Checks by The Nation showed that 1,545,004 Nigerians wrote the examination.

    Miss Yeboah-Kordieh also won the Augustus Bandele Oyediran Award for the Best Candidate in West Africa.

    During the meeting, The Gambia’s Chief Government Nominee on the Council, Baboucarr Bouy, was elected as Vice-Chairman for a year.

    He succeeds D. C. Uwaezuoke, a Nigerian.

  • School celebrates WASSCE result

    School celebrates WASSCE result

    It was a harvest of academic excellence for the pioneer students of SOFUNIX International College, Oko-Oba as they recorded 98 per cent pass rate in the 2012 West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE).

    Proprietor, Mr Sola Oni said each pupil passed a minimum of seven subjects including English language and Mathematics – thanks to the rigorous academic work the college put them through. Oni also attributed the successful performance to availability of qualified and committed teachers who understand the peculiar needs of each learner, as well as the conducive learning environment provided by the school, including availability of teaching aids, adoption of mentoring and counselling strategy to complement teaching activities.

    “The West African Examinations Council has announced38.81 per cent pass rate in five credits and above including English Language and Mathematics in 2012 WASSCE. It is heart-warming that our college is one of the successful institutions. We thank God Almighty for allowing us to realise our dream of coming out with strong academic performance right from the pioneer students. We shall continue to work round the clock to sustain and even surpass the current performance. Our ultimate goal is to develop youths that would take up leadership position in the medium and long term,” he said.

    The Chairman, SOFUNIX Parents and Teachers Association, Mr Gbenga Badejo said the good performances did not come as a surprise because of the school’s policy of high academic standard in line with its vision, mission and core-values.