The smooth conduct of the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) has been disrupted in several states following the late delivery of examination materials, forcing candidates to sit for papers late into the night.
Reports indicated that candidates in parts of Oyo, Lagos and Osun states were made to write their examinations under poor lighting conditions on Wednesday and Thursday after question papers and answer booklets arrived several hours behind schedule.
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 materials until evening hours.
On Thursday, candidates writing the Agriculture Science Practical were left waiting for hours beyond the scheduled start time.
While the first batch was set for 2 pm and the second for 3:30 pm, some centres in Oyo State had still not commenced the examination as of 8 pm.
A similar delay occurred on Wednesday during the General Mathematics Objective paper, with some candidates reportedly starting as late as 6:30 pm, while others began around 8:30 pm and finished after 10 pm.
Residents in Osun State described the situation as alarming, noting that students were still writing examinations after sunset.
With classrooms already dark, some candidates were forced to move outdoors for 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 hours after the scheduled start 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 said 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 continued throughout the week, with examinations rarely starting at their scheduled 9:30 am and 2 pm periods.
On Monday, candidates were also said to have waited for hours before sitting the Physics Essay and Physics Objective papers, which were originally scheduled for the afternoon sessions.
