Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has called on the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, to design its curriculum to prepare Children that will need world-class young people with strong interpersonal, innovative, entrepreneurial, critical and creative skills.
Professor Osinbajo stated this on Tuesday in Abuja while declaring open the 70th Annual Council Meeting of WAEC.
The Vice Presidentb said that the reality of the 21st Century has changed the way people work, do business and live in the global economy, requiring that the examination body must ensure that it falls in line with advances in technology.
Professor Osinbajo said; “With amazing advances in technology, talent is more mobile, and there is greater competition for well trained, innovative and resourceful human resources.
“The 21st century economy requires a different skill sets– problem solving and innovation are key requirements.”
He urged the Council to adapt the International General Certificate of Secondary Education, IGCSE module, which involves creativity and imagination.
The VP said; “The essential difference is that the WASC encourages learning by rote, the IGSCE incorporates the teaching of core skills or deep learning skills, critical thinking, creativity, imagination, problem solving skills, and collaboration.
“These are the essential skills that young people need to be competitive and prepared for life and work in a global economy.
“So it seems to me that in the next few years WAEC’s curriculum and examinations must be designed to test for and support core skills.”
AfCFTA trail
Professor Osinbajo said that organisations like the WAEC have greater room for reach and expansion if they follow the trail of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA, which is evolving on the continent.
He said that the AfCFTA agreement “is an ambitious trade pact to form one of the world’s largest free trade area by connecting almost 1.3bn people across all 54 African countries, aims to create a single market for goods and services in order to deepen the economic integration of Africa.”
Technological innovations
According to Professor Osinbajo the future of institutions like WAEC will depend on how well they embrace technological innovations and their ability to reinvent themselves in the ever-changing world.
“I think it is also crucial that WAEC must continually embrace Technology there is no option today.
“And we must commend WAEC for the technological innovations it has implemented so far, which includes biometric verifications, online registration, computer based tests (CBT), etc.
“However, we can and must go further. A key aspect of technological advancement in examinations WAEC must commit to implementing is Online Examinations, which speaks to exams conducted remotely on a computer with high-speed internet, ” he explained.
The Vice President said; “a shift from offline to online examinations would reduce the current overall logistics costs; break geographic barriers, thereby enabling a wider reach and participation; provide real-time analytical & assessment reports to examiners and candidates; and further curb the menace of examination malpractices through AI-based proctoring technology.
“Another technological innovation to take note of is – On-Screen marking, otherwise called Digital Evaluation – a method of marking paper-based candidate responses using a computer.”
He said; “I am aware WAEC is currently implementing some aspects of it. This technology enhances the quality of evaluation of descriptive answer scripts within a transparent, secure and efficient framework.
“Hence, the council must work towards fully adopting this innovation.”
Extending felicitations of the government and people of Nigeria to WAEC on its 70th anniversary, Professor Osinbajo reaffirmed the country’s support for the West African Examinations Council.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba urged the council to continue to embark on initiatives that would enhance the quality of its services.
In his speech, the Registrar to the Council, Pateh Bah lamented the menace of malpractices in the examinations organised by WAEC.
The Chairman of the Council, Professor Ato Essuman described Nigeria as “a dependable backbone which provides strength and stability to the WAEC family.”
Professor Essuman said Nigeria was the first country to fulfill its financial commitment to WAEC for the 2020 and 2021 financial years, and appealed to member countries to meet their obligations.
The winners of the 2021 WAEC Excellence Awards were presented with their prizes.
They are Nweze Isabella Chinasa, (Nigeria),first prize; Asante Kwameh Brako (Ghana), second prize; and Edeani Izuchukwu Godswill (Nigeria), third prize.
VON