Akwa Ibom says it has N830 million as West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) fees for its 2022 final year students.
Commissioner for Education, Mrs Idongesit Etiebet, made this declaration at a briefing of principals, supervisors and other examination functionaries for the 2022 WASSCE held in Uyo on Friday.
She called on key players and stakeholders in the education sector to collectively employ strategies and modalities at ending examination malpractices.
“Akwa Ibom spent N830 million to ensure that children in public secondary schools write the WASSCE this year,’’ she said.
She added that Akwa Ibom set a target in 2021 that 80 per cent of its students writing WASSCE must obtain a minimum of five credits in subjects including English Language and Mathematics.
The target for 2022, she said is 90 per cent.
“In the last three years, analyses conducted by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) shows that students in Akwa Ibom have improved in their WASSCE results,’’ she said.
She thanked teachers, principals and supervisors in public and private schools for the good job of teaching and grooming students, particularly students in exit classes.
Earlier, a Senior Internal Auditor at WAEC, Mrs Faith Ihediwah said there had been a noticeable decline in examination malpractices.
She expressed the hope that the trend would continue until the menace is completely subdued.
She also noted that there was an increase in the success rate of candidates and attributed this to the tenacity of the teachers.
Ihediwah thanked Akwa Ibom for the payment of the examination fees and the release of teachers for supervision and invigilation at the examination centres.
She enjoined all stakeholders to ensure the success of the 2022 WASSCE.
Ihediwah noted that WAEC had recorded improvements in the ease of collection of certificates at choice locations and the prompt release of examination results.