Lagos Students May Miss WASSCE Registration Due to Lack of Funds

Cursory: Economic challenges in Lagos State are causing some parents to struggle with the N8,100 levy for their children’s WASSCE registration. Despite the state covering WASSCE fees, this levy has posed difficulties, with WAEC extending the registration deadline to February 24.

Due to their parents’ inability to pay the N8,100 levy, some students in public secondary schools in Lagos State might not be registered for this year’s West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

Lagos State covers WASSCE fees for students in public secondary schools, but parents in the informal sector must pay a levy, while those in the formal sector can use their tax clearance certificates.

Some students faced exclusion from the free registration last week due to their parents’ inability to pay the levy, initially set as the WAEC registration deadline. Fortunately, WAEC extended the registration to February 24.

Economic challenges in the country have made it difficult for some parents to meet the levy requirement.

A parent, whose child is at Igbo Owu Senior Secondary School, Work Yard, near Majekodunmi Street, Mushin, lamented her ordeal to our correspondent.

“I am a petty trader and who struggles to take care of her children. We all know what the situation in the country is now. The cost of living is high and business is not like it was before. The state government just introduced this levy for final year students this year. They said people should show their tax clearance certificates or pay that levy.

“I tried as much as I could but could not make the deadline last week and the school authorities told me that my child would not be registered for the examination. We appreciate the state government for helping parents pay the exam fee, but they should know that not all parents work in the formal sector where they can get a tax clearance certificate to show, ” she said.

In a phone interview, the Commissioner for Secondary and Basic Education, Hon Jamiu Alli-Balogun, expressed that the state government deserves appreciation for relieving parents of the burden of exam fees.

“We are not asking the parents to pay any tax, especially those in informal setting. We only ask the for N8, 100 levy, that is less than N650 monthly. Those in formal setting who have tax deducted from their salaries have tax clearance certificates that cover them.However, i don’t think that is too much for the parents because Lagos State government pays the WAEC examination fees of all students in public secondary schools and that runs into billions of naira.

“In how many states do they do that? Not even in FCT that they pay such on behalf of parents. if we now ask parents to show commitment and responsibility by paying that levy, i don’t think is is too much. Tax is paid everywhere in tbe world and it drives growth. I am not aware that some people were unable to meet the deadline. That has not come to my notice. Even the deadline is not about Lagos State, it is WAEC issue. Their examinations will start in March and they have the deadline to tidy things up, ” he said.

Credits: Allschool, Vanguard

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