The smooth conduct of the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) was disrupted across several states after delays in the delivery of examination materials left thousands of candidates writing their papers late into the night
Findings showed that candidates in parts of Oyo, Lagos and Osun states were forced to sit for examinations under poor lighting conditions on Wednesday and Thursday, following the late arrival of question papers and answer booklets.
The situation was most severe in Ibadan, Iseyin and Oyo towns in Oyo State, the Lekki axis of Lagos State, and Osogbo in Osun State, where some centres reportedly did not receive examination materials until several hours after the scheduled start time.
On Thursday, candidates sitting for the Agriculture Science Practical were left waiting for hours after the exam was meant to begin.
The first batch was scheduled for 2 pm, while the second batch was slated for 3:30 pm, but by 8 pm, some centres in Oyo State were still yet to commence the exercise.
A similar delay was recorded on Wednesday during the General Mathematics Objective paper, as some candidates reportedly began writing as late as 6:30 pm, while others started around 8:30 pm and only finished after 10 pm.
Residents in Osun State described the situation as troubling, noting that students were still taking examinations well after sunset.
With classrooms already dark, some candidates were forced to move outdoors to access better lighting, while others relied on torchlights, mobile phone flashlights and solar lamps to complete their papers.
A parent in Oyo State said his child remained at the examination centre long after the scheduled time.
“It is 9 pm, and my child called that the examination is yet to start. The school staff members are still waiting for WAEC officials to bring the examination questions,” he said.
Another parent in Lagos recounted that her child returned home around 10 pm after writing the Wednesday paper.
“My child returned home around 10 pm on Wednesday,” she said.
The delays reportedly persisted throughout the week, with several examinations failing to begin at their scheduled 9:30 am and 2 pm start times.
On Monday, candidates were also said to have waited for hours before eventually sitting the Physics Essay and Physics Objective papers, originally scheduled for 2 pm and 3:30 pm respectively.
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