GCE CANDIDATES TO BE TESTED FOR EBOLA BEFORE EXAM

Authorities of the West African Examinations Council on Saturday subjected candidates sitting the ongoing ‘November/December’ West African Senior School Certificate Examination to Ebola Virus Disease screening.

The Head of National Office of WAEC, Mr. Charles Eguridu, who led a team of officials around some examination centres in Lagos, said the essence of the test was to ensure the safety of candidates and their invigilators.

The council, Eguridu added, extended the gesture, which he described as WAEC’s

corporate social responsibility, to Ebola prone-states such as Lagos, Rivers and Enugu as well Cross River, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

According to him, the council is only being proactive by deploying its officials and resources in the conduct of the EVD test to avert any “ugly incident in any of the centres.”

Hailing the medical team for the screening, Eguridu noted that the council provided standby ambulances, enough body infrared thermometers, sanitisers and hand gloves for the exercise.

The HNO, who dismissed insinuations that the screening was a distraction to the candidates, said it would not affect their performance in the examination.

He said, “I do not see any distraction this exercise will cause the candidates. When you weigh the options and the cost, you will find out that it is better that they undergo the less-than-30-second exercise. I can tell you that it is not going to affect their performance.”

Among the schools visited in Lagos by the team were the Ransome Kuti Memorial Senior Grammar School, Mushin; Birrel Avenue High School, Yaba; Herbert Macaulay Senior Girls School, Yaba and the Expressway Junior/Senior Secondary schools, Olodi-Apapa.

Meanwhile, Eguridu said no fewer than 500 candidates in the country embraced the walk-in-candidate examination registration modality inaugurated by the council last month.

The concept, which cost NGN 25000, gives private candidates access to register for their examination “not later than the day of the paper they intend to sit.”

Hitherto, normal registration for the Nov/Dec WASSCE was NGN 11400.