ex-commissioner laments over the increase in WASSCE, NECO fees

A former Commissioner for Education in Ebonyi, Mr. Ndubuisi

Chibueze-Agbo, has condemned the steady rise of West African

Senior School Certificate Examination and National Examination Council fees.

Chibueze-Agbo said on Wednesday in Abakaliki that the development

posed danger to the education sector.

The former commissioner said that the sudden increase in NECO and

WASSCE fees from N5,500 and N5,350 respectively in 2015, to N11,950

and N11,350 was outrageous.



He argued that the situation could deny children from less privileged

homes from writing these very important certificate examinations.

The former commissioner noted that NECO was established in the year

2000 to break the monopoly of WAEC.



He said, "Before year 2000, WAEC was the only examination body

authorised by law to conduct Senior School Certificate Examination for

both external and internal candidates.

"NECO came into being in 2000 to provide alternative to Nigerians and

also to break the monopoly of WAEC and exorbitant fees

charged by the examination body.

"But it's regrettable and sad that the NECO has been in the forefront

of championing examination fee hike in Nigeria from 2001

to date."



He noted that in year 2000, registration fees for both WASSCE and NECO

was N1,000 while candidates who sat for the same

examinations in 2001 paid N1,450 for WASSCE and N1,500 for NECO.

According to him, fees for both

examinations went up in 2002 to N1,800 for NECO, and WASSCE N1650.

The former commissioner said there was another increment in 2003 that

put NECO fee at N2,300, while WASSCE was registered

with N2,250.



He said that increment in examination fees in Nigeria had been on

steady rise and maintained that the current fees were the highest in

the whole of Africa.



"From available statistics, 80 per cent of prospective WASSCE and NECO

candidates in Ebonyi are yet to pay for the examinations

because of the high cost of the fees.

"The situation poses serious threat to national security and call for

urgent action to remedy it, "the ex-commissioner added.

He further called on the President

Muhammadu Buhari to intervene and ensure that the fees were brought

down to affordable level.



"I appeal to Mr President to see the hike as a dangerous development

in education

sector and to cause same to be immediately reversed in the interest of

the nation's

education system,'' he said.



The Ebonyi Government had in a similar move urged WAEC and NECO to

extend their deadlines for registration.

Ebony Government advice was in view of the few number of students that

had registered for the examinations due to the

fee hike.