The Need For Osun State Government to Pay External Examination Fees for Secondary Schools Students

Osun Governor, Gboyega Oyetola

Osun State, the land of virtue and home to about 400 public secondary schools with close to 20,000 students passing out yearly in the state with second highest literacy rate in Nigeria. 

The succeeding Governments in the state overtime have made education a priority with several developmental projects and huge funding being channeled to the sector. The results of this investment is evident in the yearly improvement of Osun states students sitting for WASSCE and NECO examination.

Cross section of candidates during examination

This Newspaper obtained that the administration of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola (2003-2010) took steps to intervene in reducing the effect of poverty and early marriage on the educational attainment of students. Many parents were unable to afford the payment of their children’s WAEC fees.

Affected students could not proceed to tertiary institutions and hence the decision of the state government led by Prince Oyinlola to pay their SSCE/WAEC fees. 

Also, VAM News learnt that the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji

Aregbesola (2010-2018) that succeeded him continued with the payment of the WASSCE fees of SSS 3 students. However, the policy was adjusted in 2017 to ensure that payment will only be on reimbursement basis to parent of students based on the criteria; completion of examinations and five credit passes in English language and Mathematics. 

The policy however, has since been ineffective since the coming on board of the present administration.

That is not to say that the  government of the day has not made education a priority. As a matter of fact, the recent reversal of the previous administration's policy on schools reclassification and renaming was widely accepted and supported by people of the state and opinion makers.

The present administration's commitment to educational development was recently highlighted in the 2021 appropriation bill recently submitted by the State Governor to the parliament. The education sector above others, got the largest shares  as N10.7 billion representing 18.08% of the N109.9 billion total budget was allocated to the sector. 

While the Government has made education compulsory at primary and secondary levels in order to keep pupils in school and avoid a drop in literacy rate, it is quite disheartening to note that some of these pupils do not get to complete secondary education over their inability to register for WASSCE and NECO examination. 

From available statistics, about 40 percent of prospective WASSCE AND NECO candidate could not afford to register for the examinations in the year 2019 and 2020. The reason for this ugly development is not far-fetched. Majority of students enrolling at public secondary schools are children of indigent and less- privilege parents of low or zero income. And such, these parents do not possess the financial wherewithal to register their wards for these examinations. 

Against the aforementioned backdrop, it is most reasonable that the Osun State government as a matter of policy, return to the pace set by previous administrations by taking up the responsibility of paying for external examinations of students in the terminal class of secondary level of education for public schools in the state. This singular gesture will serve as measure to alleviating the financial burden of parents in educating their children. 

Should the Government consider formulating and implementing this policy, it is believed that enrollment in public secondary schools will experience an appreciable increase and also serve as tool to get rid of illiteracy from the society. The effect of this would be reduction in crime rates and social vices as pupils who could not further their education as a result of the inability to write these national examinations poses a great threat to national security.

States like Ekiti, Ondo and others that have been implementing similar policy over the years have reported that payment of students examination fees serves as morale booster for students during examinations period, thus improving their performances.  

If the Osun state government can emulate her counterparts who have this policy successfully implemented, there is no doubt that it will increase number of students passing out of school with defined purpose in life.