The Federal Government has threatened to expel students in senior secondary school classes one and two, who apply for and sit the external West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), the National Examination Council (NECO), and National Business and Technical Examinations (NBTE).
This decision is contained in a recent circular issued by the Federal Ministry of Education and addressed to the authorities of the country’s 104 federal unity colleges across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
The circular which was referenced: FME/DBSE/US/DOC/III/16 was signed by the ministry’s Director in charge of senior secondary education, Binta Abdulkadir.
The ministry explained in the circular that students in senior secondary school one and two who participate in the examinations are ”distracted from achieving their goals”.
The circular reads in part; “The ministry’s attention has been drawn to the flagrant disregard to its directive on (the) writing of external examinations such as NABTEB (NTC and NBC), WASSCE, NECO (SSCE) by SS1 and SS2 students.
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“Students who are involved in the practice find it difficult to settle down on serious studies. They become unruly and distract other students from achieving their goals.
“Any student caught to have written any of the above examinations in SS1 or SS2 classes will be expelled from the college. All students must write these examinations after they have been duly registered for the examination by the college.”
It further urged school authorities to keep the parents abreast of the development.
“All students of Federal Unity College should adhere strictly to the content of this circular. And Principals are advised to bring the content of this circular to the knowledge of all parents of the college,” it added.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Ben Goong in a telephone interview with our reporter on Friday said the circular is authentic, ”and that the decision is in line with extant laws”.
According to the director, it has been observed that students who take part in such exams become unruly when they return to school.
He said; “It is unfortunate that when students of SS1 and SS2 sit the external examinations, they become uncontrollable when they return to schools. They no longer listen to instructions and they see themselves as being above the laws.
“And it is important to add that this is applicable to only the federal government-owned unity schools and that the decision follows extant laws governing the schools.”
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