…say irregular power supply may mar programme
Parents have expressed concern over the workability and success of the radio and television classes being organised by the Lagos State Government for candidates preparing for this year’s West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination.
The state government through its Education Board has embarked on organising the radio and television classes for the WASSCE candidates in nine different subjects.
The lockdown imposed by the government to check the spread of the deadly coronavirus had forced the West African Examination Council to postpone this year’s West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination earlier scheduled to begin in March.
Recall that before the total lockdown, the state government had closed all public and private schools on March 20 as part of the efforts to stop the spread of the deadly disease and to keep the children safe from the pandemic.
According to the government, the broadcast stations that will be involved in the alternative class project include Wazobia Radio, GOTV, Startimes and MyTV, adding that the classes will run between 11 to 12 noon for the morning session and 1pm to 2pm in the afternoon from Monday to Friday.
It explained that this is to keep the children engaged in their studies throughout the period of the indefinite holiday due to the rampaging COVID-19 pandemic across the world.
The state government, therefore, urged parents to encourage their children to stay tuned with their writing materials during the hours for the various radio and television classes.
But parents, who commended the state government for the initiative, said that the alternative radio and television classes might not be effective because of the lack of regular electricity.
According to them, operating such alternative classes through the electronic media requires regular supply of electricity, especially to the various homes of the students who are the targets of the state government.
A concerned parent, Mrs. Lola Adekanbi, who spoke with our correspondent on the phone, described the programme as a welcome development provided there would be regular supply of electricity, especially during the periods for the alternative classes.
Adekanbi urged the state government to liaise and arrange with the electricity distribution company in charge of the state to ensure stable power supply on a daily basis within the periods for the various subjects on the programme.
“I must commend the government for this initiative but they need to help us beg the electricity distribution company to give us light because one issue is to look for money to subscribe to this stations and yet you can’t have access to them due to irregular power supply,” she said.
She, however, urged students to make use of every opportunity they have to improve on their studies, adding that they should endeavor to revise everything they had been taught in their schools before the forced break.
Similarly, an educationist and a retired teacher, Alhaja Abibat Adeyemi, said if the government had chosen to assist the WASSCE candidates in their studies through the alternative radio and television classes, it had become imperative for it to reach out to the electricity supply company to provide the best services for the programme to record success and be useful to the targeted students.
She, however, urged parents to monitor their wards to be up and doing during this period, especially those sitting for the WASSCE and JSCE.
“Parents should be ready to take up the responsibility of a teacher by doing the monitoring and making sure the students are active with their studies at this time,” she said.
Mallam Ibrahim Yauri said that it would engage the students in fruitful ventures rather than frivolous and unprofitable things.
“It’s good the government is engaging the students this way because we all know that idle hands are usually the workshops of the devil. I commend the state government for this,” he said.
Another parent, Mr. Chukwuka Ude, said that the programme would open the students to a virtual way of learning outside the normal classroom environment.
Ude said this would give them the experience that might come in handy for them in future in their pursuit of further education.
But, for Mr. Ayo Ilori, studying during this period might be a bit stressful for the students.
He said studying during crisis situation such as it’s being experienced in Nigeria and the rest of the world required a show of love to the students by both parents and guardians, rather than scolding because the country and the entire world are currently passing through a very difficult time.
‘I urge parents to do it with love and kindness so that learning will be fun for them,” he said.
He commended the government and the West African Examination Council for opening the students to what they are expected to do at a time like this, adding, “I believe this ideas will help the students a lot.
Meanwhile, WAEC has urged students sitting for the 2020 WASSCE for school candidates to take advantage of the rich resources provided by the council on its portal to keep themselves abreast of developments pending the commencement of the examination.
The Head of Public Affairs, WAEC, Nigeria, Mr. Demianus Ojijeogu, said this in a statement.
According to the statement, candidates should go through the Chief Examiner’s Report on the Council’s portal, adding, “This will give you reasons why candidates who sat previous WAEC examinations performed below expectations.
“It will help you to avoid the errors that made candidates record below-average performance. Log on to: www.waeconline.org.ng/e-
He explained further that the portal gives a comprehensive analysis of candidates’ performance in all subjects, identifying their strengths and weaknesses, what they failed to do and what they should have done to perform better.
Aside this, the council also advised candidates to check their candidates’ interactive portal: (WAECKonnect.com).
This, according to the council, “is an interactive information sharing platform that allows the Council to effectively engage candidates before, during and after examinations.
“Candidates are advised to log on to the portal: www.waeckonnect.com with the login details sent to their email addresses during the registration process, and avail themselves of this veritable tool for their examination success.
“It is necessary to admonish candidates not to play around during this waiting period, but to study hard for the postponed examination. A new timetable will be announced once normalcy is restored.”
