WAEC explain, parents react as students write exam for night wit candle and flashlight

Parents of students wey write di English Language paper 2 essay exam for di ongoing West Africa Examination Council WAEC examination late into di night on Wednesday 28 May, 2025 say dem no happy with dis development.

Some of di ones wey tok to BBC Pidgin say dem dey sad say di children suffer like dat to write exam of an important paper like English language so late at night, for exam dem suppose don finish since afternoon.

Joshua Rogers wey im daughter dey write di WAEC exam tell BBC Pidgin say na around 9:00pm late Wednesday night, e go pick her after she finish her paper.

E say she tell am say na since 2pm in di afternoon dem finish di first paper wey be English Languahe paper 1 objective and dem come dey wait for di second paper but e no come till around 5:00pm in di evening.

“Di school wia she dey write di exam also try to give us parents information say dem dey wait for dI second paper but wen night reach na im me and my wife go her school go wait for her to finish so we go bring her back. No be good experience for a young pesin like dat. E dey too stressful," e tok.

Rogers add say coming from di drama around di just concluded JAMB exams wey make di authorities organise anoda exam for some candidates to rewrite di exams, e feel say dis incident fit negatively affect di performance of di students for di exams as many of dem write di exam with tension so dem fit write am quick-quick so dem go go house as night don fall.

"I get serious concern for di performance of di students for dis particular exams becos dem write am under tension, especially as you know say English paper na compulsory subject.

You can imagine di stress wey students dey go through for exam time, kon be di one wey dem get to wait a very long time, way into di night. So some of dem write quick quick so dem fit go house and e fit affect dia results at di end."

E also express concern for di safety of di children especially for di ones wey live very far from school.

"E get one boy wey me and my wife get to carry go house becos e dey live very far from di school. My daughter school dey Ozuoba and dis boy dey live for Port Harcourt airport side, so you can imagine di distance, and e bin dey fear to go house by dat time of di night becos of how di area be. Thank God say e speak out. Wat of di children wey no get anybody to help dem and dem must go house dat late in di night? Goment must chook eye and ask question why dis one happen and take steps make e no happen again."

'Our students finish di exams 1:00am dis morning'

For students wey write di WAEC exam for some of di riverine communities for Rivers State, di exam papers get to dem by 10:00pm.

Andrew Peter wey im pikin write di WAEC exam for Community Secondary School CSS Ebukuma, Andoni LGA, say di exam paper reach dem by 10:00pm and di students finish di exams by 1:00am early morning of Thursday 29 May, 2025.

"We really no know wetin happen. Na WAEC go explain but di exam paper reach here by 10pm last night.

We get to go buy candles for di students to take write di exam becos for di whole of Ebukuma community, we no get light. Na around 1:00am dis morning na im dem finish di exam and dem get to come back again dis morning to write anoda paper. So e dey stressful for di students. Dem no suppose suffer like dat." E tok.

WAEC explain why di English language paper 2 essay exam happen like dat

Di West African Examinations Council (WAEC) for statement don apologise to students for di delay in di exams.

Dem acknowledge say dem get some challenges during di conduct of WASSCE for School Candidate, 2025 wey include delay in di timely conduct of English Language Paper 2 dem write on Wednesday 28 May, 2025.

For statement wey Moyosola Adesina, Acting Head of Public Affairs WAEC sign, dem say while dem maintain di integrity and security of di examination, dem face some challenges primarily due to dia major aim of preventing leakage of any paper.

“While we successfully achieve our objective, e impact di timeliness and seamless conduct of di examination.

Despite our best efforts, we encounter logistical hurdles, security concerns and sociocultural factors wey negatively influence our operations.”

In order to forestall future occurrences of dis nature, di Council say dem currently dey collaborate with security agencies as dem recognise di importance of timely conduct of examinations and di impact of dis decision on di candidates, dia schools and parents, and dem sincerely apologise for any inconvenience wey e cause.