Stakeholders have voiced out their displeasure for what it described as an arbitrary increment in this year’s West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) fees.
The annual examination is organized by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
Checkout Magazine learnt from some private school owners and parents that WAEC’s decision to increase the examination fees was not sufficiently communicated to them.
Also, while many schools and parents were still struggling to pay the new fees, the examination body announced the closure of registration and afterwards imposed N5,000 as a penalty for late registration.
Our correspondent gathered that among other stakeholders, the Lagos State Chapter of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), had formally appealededed to WAEC to drop the penalty charges.
The Lagos chapter stated that the registrations exercise was slowed down because most parents and schools were not prepared for the increment in fees.
Some parents under the auspices of Concerned Lagos Parents, organised a peaceful rally at the Yaba, Lagos State office of the examination body, appealed to WAEC to consider the harsh economic realities of the country and drop the penalty.
While speaking to reporters on Friday, a parent, Mrs Bolade Giwa-Amu said, “The truth is that most parents are yet to get the actual fee. Adding an N5,000 penalty will deny many pupils the opportunity to write the examination this year.”
