LET US SAVE THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN FROM THIS 'WICKED MONSTER' CALLED WAEC!

Recent events and activities of this examination body called *West Africa Examination Council* in Nigeria, have proved the assertion that WAEC is working as agent of retrogression to a group of persons who are bent on drawing back the progress of education in Nigeria, especially in the south. This evil move is happening at a time  our governments are investing so much in education to ensure these children have a better future. This is clearly evident in Lagos State where successive governments have been giving education so much priority but it is unfortunate to note that a body as WAEC is 'toying' with the future of our children at the expense of their 'purse'.

This is so sad as most of these students will eventually engage in social ills out of frustration. As a growing child and student in the 70s and 80s, I had a principle which I have bestowed unto my children as a legacy; 'what I know I know, what I don't know, I learn'. Cheating is a forbidden thing and a taboo in my family and this is the reason we can defend any certificate we are carrying. This we do not just because God hates or abhors cheating but because I love to be proud of what I truly work for and not what I stole or cheated to get. We all know in Nigeria that most schools and students who engage in examination malpractices are never caught because they are always 'covered' by what 'price(s)' they pay, they are immuned to the 'cameras' of WAEC. The question is, can public schools afford these 'prices' of corruption immunity?

In our days, what we had was that WAEC would not release the result(s) of any offending student(s) or a particular paper but nowadays, in a bid to generate revenue, WAEC now cancels a whole school results of all subjects with the 'reason' of a student cheated in a particular paper or the students wrote same one-word answer in a practical paper. It will interest you to know that these exams were invigilated and supervised by WAEC officials themselves, with teachers and administrators not allowed near the halls. So, who do you blame for these incompetencies?

It is not strange these days to hear of online sites where 'lazy' students find leaked examination questions and answers. Does any school head have power over this? Yet, the blame and punishment for WAEC's negligences are on the school heads.

What happens now is that WAEC 'de-recognises' some public schools and few 'non-cooperating' private schools, asking them to pay huge some of penalties running into millions of Nairas. The unfortunate thing is that some of the government ministries and parastatals which ought to fight this course have encouraged principals to pay these monies as the 'almighty' WAEC seems too powerful, unquestionable and untamed for them, making it a 'culture' for WAEC annually to make money illegal out of their own (WAEC) incompetencies. You may want to ask where the school principals get these monies to pay? Some borrowed from cooperative societies, some contributed within their associations to bail out their members as they don't know who will be the next victim of WAEC. Even with these payments, most of these students do not have any result to show for their three years spent in senior secondary schools and we don't want such students to go into cyber crime, banditry or drugs?

I have the information now that fresh levies are being placed on some schools in Lagos at an average of #800,000.00. Is it a crime to be an administrator in a public school, especially in Lagos? I hope concerned stakeholders will not watch the lives of our children to be wasted because of corruption and these illegal fines by WAEC. Imagine the fate of a student whose poor parent can not afford the alternative NECO or GCE! WAEC, this is inhuman! No wonder most students refuse to write WAEC in public schools they attend but prefer 'settled' private schools.

It may even get to a level that teachers will reject appointments as principals because no one wants to have hypertension. WAEC does not mean well for our children, they should go after those 'private' schools and special 'parí-isé' centers where their gates are always closed during examinations.

Imagine your studious, innocent child not having a result to show for six years in secondary school! Imagine your brilliant ward who studied hard to have all his/her results held because his/her school is a victim of WAEC.

Let us save the future of our children. Let us save the future of Nigeria. Stop discouraging those who want to go to school.

Send this to all your contacts till our concerned stakeholders do something. WAEC is not Nigeria Customs or FIRS, they shouldn't continue here with what they can't do in Togo and Benin Republic.

-I am a concerned Nigerian parent.