The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), has appealed to the Federal Government to reconsider its suspension of 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSSCE).
The National President of the association, Mr Yomi Otubela, pleaded that the reconsideration of the 2020 WASSCE was to ensure emotional wellbeing of the students.
He said that private schools under NAPPS were ready to resume with strict adherence to the safety protocols as rolled out by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
“To avoid emotional trauma, the SS3 students will be subjected to as a result of the cancellation of the WASSCE, we advise government to deploy the services of clinical psychologists.
“This is to evaluate the state of minds of these students, whenever they are ready to sit for these examinations, due to mental trauma that will arise as a result of the suspension.
“We are talking about the rigorous preparations put in by the students and knowing full well, that their counterparts in other countries will write the examinations,” he said.
According to Otubela, Nigerian students may be forced to seek an alternative way of writing these examinations: by approaching neighbouring countries such as Ghana.
“It will not be good for the image of the country.
“As a result of a prolonged closure, majority of students may likely lose interest in education and embrace social vices inimical to their wellbeing and public safety as well,” he said.
Otubela revealed that after announcement of the suspension, parents started approaching management of schools to demand for refund of the fees paid for their children’s WASSCE.
“Private schools had already remitted money to the examination bodies.
“Their reasons are premised on the decision to utilise the refunds to approach other neighbouring countries, so that their children can sit for 2020 WASSCE outside the country,” he said.
Otubela added that they were willing to have a meeting with the Minister of Education and other stakeholders, to assure them of the safety protocols that had been put in place in private schools, to ensure safety of students nationwide.
“Our call today is meant for all the transitional students, both in the private and public schools, to resume early enough, for revision before the examination dates.
“A task force can be instituted by both the Federal and State Governments to monitor and ensure strict compliance, during the conduct of the examinations.
“This is considering the level of success achieved so far with the reopening of the airports for domestic flights, through strict adherence to safety protocols for passengers.
“We are sure that the same level of success will be recorded, when schools are reopened,” Otubela said
The president assured that his members would ensure strict adherence to the safety protocols recommended by NCDC to prevent spread of the disease, within the school environment.
“Some of the safety protocols recommended include: provision of running water, soap for handwashing, provision of Infra-red thermometers to monitor staff, students and visitors’ temperature.
“Enforcement of face mask, provision of sick bay to be managed by qualified health personnel and others,” he said.
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