From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Youths of Isoko nation have disagreed with their Arewa counterparts over plans by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) to adopt the Computer Based Test (CBT) mode in the conduct of its West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) had reportedly kicked against the initiative by WAEC to migrate from the regular Paper Pencil Test to CBT, on the ground that the technologically driven mode was responsible for mass failure in similar examinations where it is being practiced.
But the Isoko National Youth Assembly (INYA) faulted the position of Arewa youths, saying that the planned CBT mode by WAEC was a welcomed development that should be applauded.
President of INYA, Eniwake Orogun in a statement on behalf of the ethnic youths, said the decision aligns perfectly with global best practices and the need to adopt technology in engineering speed and efficiency as well as driving transparency and credibility especially in the educational sector.
Orogun said all levels of the educational sector were in dire need of one form of reform or another and the adoption of technology for efficient and enhanced service delivery was most welcomed.
He said most Nigerians were wondering why anyone including the AYCF would kick against the initiative.
“We are baffled that instead of wholeheartedly embracing this innovative thinking like every other Nigerians, the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum is wiping up unsubstantiated sentiments that attempt to associate mass failure with CBT mode of conducting exams.
“Why should anyone be afraid of credibility? Or why should a few states attempt to slow down the wheel of national progress?
“CBT mode of conducting exams is not novel in Nigeria. Its deployment is in fact, long overdue at the WASSCE level as CBT has been effectively deployed to conduct JAMB UTME and ICAN exams.
“If computer skills are not taught in public schools in some states in the north as they have alleged, the proper thing to do is to call on the government of those states to create the enabling environment for its delivery, rather than reject this laudable initiative.
“We know that our students are very studious and any mode of conducting the examination will not affect their performance except for those who want to get results through the back door,” he stated.
Orogun added that with CBT, WAEC would be able to address the issue of credibility which has “challenged the authenticity of some of the results from some part of the country they have released in recent times, and restore confidence and trust of Nigerians.”
He therefore called on relevant stakeholders to maintain the momentum and continue with the plan of integrating CBT mode into their examination process from February this year as they had proposed.