The Nigerian Senate has summoned the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, and the Head of the National Office of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Amos Dangut, to explain the introduction of new guidelines for the 2025/2026 Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE).
The guidelines, which were announced suddenly, have sparked concerns among students, parents, and educators.
The new guidelines remove core subjects such as Computer Studies, Civic Education, and previous trade subjects from the WAEC syllabus, despite students having spent years preparing for these subjects.
This has left many students with only six examinable subjects, instead of the required minimum of eight and maximum of nine.
Senator Sunday Karimi, who raised the motion, warned that the sudden changes could lead to mass failure among SS3 students, as they would be required to sit for papers they were not adequately prepared for.
He emphasized that the changes were introduced without proper consultation and would have negative implications on the students’ exams and the quality of examination results.
The Senate has proposed exempting current SS3 students from the new guidelines and applying them to students currently in SS1, who will write the WAEC SSCE in 2027/2028.
The Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education has been mandated to investigate the matter and report back within two weeks.
Senators have expressed concerns that the changes were made without adequate preparation, including the availability of teachers, laboratories, and equipment.
They have also questioned the removal of Computer Studies and Civic Education, citing the importance of these subjects in today’s digital age.
The Senate’s intervention comes after the House of Representatives also faulted WAEC over the removal of key subjects from the examination portal.
The controversy has sparked widespread concern among parents, educators, and school administrators, with calls for WAEC and the Ministry of Education to provide clarity and address the issue urgently.
