Review timetable to reduce stress levels of students - NUGS to WAEC

The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has called on the West African Examinations Council to review the 2020 WASSCE timetable to reduce the stress levels of students.

The 2020 WASSCE examination started on Monday, July 20, 2020 across the country.

According to the Union, it has taken note of the fact that two elective papers, i.e. Financial Accounting and Principles of Cost Accounting, for instance, are scheduled to be written on the same day, September 5, 2020, with only an hour’s break.

“The Union identifies with the position of education advocacy think tank, the Africa Education Watch that such an arrangement which makes students sit for two major elective papers, for as long as almost seven hours, with only an hour’s break, is ‘strenuous’ and goes against ‘international standards of assessment at the secondary level’,” it stated.

NUGS is therefore calling on WAEC to review the timetable by postponing one of the two papers to another day, so as to reduce the stress students are already facing in these extraordinary times.

It also wished all 375,737 final year senior high school students the best of prospects as they sit for their examinations.

“The Union is cognizant of the fact that these are not the best times to be undertaking such an exercise of writing examinations, and wishes to congratulate all our gallant brothers and sisters who are defying the odds to take their final examinations,” NUGS stated.

NUGS urged all relevant authorities to ensure strict adherence to all the COVID-19 protocols during this period; and also pleaded with all students to do their part by observing all the protocols during and after the period of the examinations.