WAEC’s big Shame! Students still writing WASSCE at 8pm

The Oyo State Government has strongly criticised the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) over the late delivery of examination materials that forced hundreds of candidates to sit for key papers deep into the night, describing the situation as unacceptable and harmful to students’ welfare.

The state government said the delays disrupted the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), exposing candidates and parents to unnecessary stress, anxiety and security risks.

Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Olusegun Olayiwola, raised the alarm in a statement issued in Ibadan on Friday following reports of major disruptions at examination centres across the state.

According to the commissioner, question papers for Government Objective and Agricultural Science Practical examinations scheduled for June 4 arrived several hours behind schedule in many centres, contrary to WAEC’s official timetable.

The situation reportedly deteriorated to the point where some candidates in Ogbomoso and Saki were still writing the Government paper as late as 8:11 p.m., while the Agricultural Science Practical examination had yet to commence.

The commissioner disclosed that the incident was not isolated, recalling that a similar challenge occurred a day earlier when Mathematics Objective papers were delivered in insufficient quantities, forcing candidates to remain in examination halls until late at night.

The development triggered concern among parents and education stakeholders, many of whom questioned why students preparing for crucial examinations were subjected to such conditions.

Olayiwola said officials of the ministry contacted WAEC authorities over the delays, adding that the council attributed the disruption to logistical challenges.

However, the state government insisted that urgent corrective measures must be taken to prevent a recurrence.

As part of its recommendations, Oyo urged WAEC to immediately reschedule any examination paper that fails to reach centres before 4:00 p.m. on the day of the examination.

According to the government, such a measure would protect candidates from exhaustion, reduce anxiety among parents and ensure that examinations are conducted under safe and conducive conditions.

While acknowledging that WAEC operates as an international examination body beyond the direct control of the state government, Olayiwola stressed that the welfare and safety of students must remain paramount.

He reaffirmed the state’s commitment to protecting learners and pledged continued engagement with relevant stakeholders to ensure that candidates are not subjected to avoidable hardship during public examinations.