The planned computer-based test format for the next West African tests Council tests in the nation has been criticized by the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum.
The group claims that implementing such an exam format will cause a large number of pupils to fail, especially in rural areas where computer literacy is either nonexistent or very low.
The West African Examinations Council declared that it would no longer be using the paper and pencil test model and would instead be using a computer-based test mode to administer the Senior School Certificate Examination, according to The PUNCH.
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This was stated in a statement that Moyosola Adesina, the acting head of WAEC’s Public Affairs Unit, signed.
She declared that it adhered to international best practices and notified all parties involved of its decision to switch from paper and pencil tests to computer-based exams for the WASSCE for Private Candidates Examination Diet.
In a statement issued in Kaduna on Friday, Yerima Shettima, the National President of AYCF, stated that the CBT tests ought to have been elective, giving applicants the option between the conventional pen-and-paper format and the computer-based method.
He contended that doing so would have allowed the students to select the format that best suited their needs and abilities.
Shettima continued, stating that the forum’s research in a few northern states, including Zamfara, Jigawa, Taraba, Adamawa, Nasarawa, and Plateau, showed that the CBT exams had consistently resulted in students taking public school, where computer skills were not taught, having misleading failure rates.
He declared, “Even the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board – CBT exam has put disadvantaged students in a difficult situation since they find it difficult to respond to questions in a foreign style.
“A large number of students who did not pass the CBT-based JAMB tests in the previous year contended that systemic shortcomings, such as inadequate infrastructure or network outages during the test, were to blame for their results.
Furthermore, the state of affairs was made worse by a lack of appropriate and sufficient computer skills as well as old desktop PCs that CBT centers neglected to maintain.
“These delays seriously impair the performance of students who otherwise possess sufficient knowledge of the topic, as the tests are timed.”
Therefore, he issued a call to action for the National Association of Nigerian Students, Jama’atu Nasril Islam, Christian Association of Nigeria, Ministry of Education, and other pertinent Civil Society Organizations to band together and oppose the upcoming CBT tests.
He stated that in order to stop a high percentage of pupils failing out of school when they should have been given fair and equal chances to succeed, action had to be taken.
“The AYCF is still dedicated to supporting high-quality instruction, fair testing procedures, and the general improvement of education in Nigeria. “We are prepared to engage in cooperative efforts with all relevant parties to identify appropriate substitutes that guarantee equitable opportunities for every student,” he continued.