ERC Kick Against WAEC's Relocation of GCE Candidates

The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) has condemned the decision of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) to relocate 1,742 candidates sitting for the ongoing November/December West African Senior School Certificate Examination in Edo State to Ondo and Delta states, thereby increasing the financial expenses on poor working class guardians. In a statement issued on Wednesday and made available to Strategic Media, the national coordinator, Hassan Taiwo Soweto stated that the decision of WAEC is exploitative and insensitive. “As a public institution, WAEC has a responsibility towards candidates, their parents and guardians. That responsibility involves ensuring that in circumstances of this nature, candidates, their parents and guardians are not unnecessarily over burdened”, he said. He, however, disclosed that WAEC took the decision to relocate the candidates because of the Edo State gubernatorial elections which was scheduled to take place on September 10, the day the candidates are expected to sit for Mathematics 1 and 2. Furthermore, he demanded that WAEC bears the full cost of this relocation including cost of transportation and, where needed, accommodation of the candidates. “As far as we are concerned, since the candidates and their parents were not responsible for the relocation, which was forced by the coincidence of the examination date with the date of the Edo gubernatorial elections, WAEC must bear the full cost including ensuring a hitch free exercise and the safety of the candidates”, he added.