Schools in Lagos have been shut since the President declared a total lockdown in Ogun, Lagos and FCT five weeks ago. While some privately-owned schools quickly migrated to using online platforms like Google Classroom and Zoom to engage with pupils and students, government-owned schools have had no measure to engage their students. Questions have been asked as to what the plan is to ensure equality in curriculum coverage for second and third term between private and government schools. However, there is a group of students who are at a critical phase of their education; those in SS3 who are scheduled to write their second school leaving certificate exam, WAEC.
On my way to take pictures, I overheard two girls, who later introduced themselves as Blessing and Josephine, talking about how much they missed going to school. “What I miss the most is the money my parents give me for lunch everyday”, “I miss my friends who stay far from here”. Then I interrupted them. I asked for permission to join their conversation. They were cool with it.
I learnt a lot from these girls that got me thinking about the effect of the COVID-19 crisis on the already weak educational system in Nigeria. Blessing and Josephine were not only concerned about lunch money and friends, they said they were preparing for WAEC and wished they had access to their teachers as they prepare. Although they were not sure of when they will be writing the exam, they think it will be in August.
When I asked if they would have loved to have online classes; they smiled and responded in the affirmative, stating that some other private schools had made that possible for their students. Blessing told me her Dad would be willing to pay for online classes, but they do not even have that as an option. These girls are going to write the same exam as students in private schools with constant coaching – if you ask me, they are already at a disadvantage.
While Blessing and Josephine feel confident that studying on their own at home is good enough to ensure they get the required credits to further their education, they wished their teachers were available to help. Josephine said, “Before, if you did not understand the formula, you can meet the chemistry teacher during break time to explain more, but now that is not possible because our school is closed.”
The Federal and State Governments through the Minister of Education and Commissioners of Education need to critically look into the plight of students preparing for WAEC and NECO and come up with strategies to reduce the inequality that already exists. Is it possible to allow only SS3 students to attend school so they can prepare adequately for their exams? They can have the whole school to themselves and ensure they adhere to social distancing with not more than twenty-five students in a classroom. Students like Blessing and Josephine need to get all the help they need to ensure they prepare adequately and perform at their best during the upcoming exams.
