Bauchi State Government has on Friday insisted that only 13,011 students will benefit from the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) sponsorship for the year, 2020.
The Chief of Staff to the Bauchi state government Ladan Salihu disclosed this in joint press conference with the state’s commissioner for education Dr Aliyu Tilde on Friday in Bauchi.
Ladan who said the previous sponsorship was marred by corruption where unqualified candidates were surreptitiously dubbed by corrupt school principals at the detriment of government’s purse says the practice will not continue with the present administration.
Ladan said although the government was committed to improving the already traumatized education in the state, WAEC sponsorship has been an unnecessary burden on the state that is corruptly doctored to benefits corrupt government officials.
He said the government conducted an aptitude test for 21,000 students from 216 secondary schools, and only 13,011 succeeded in passing.
He said the government will only sponsor the 13,011 candidates that were found to be competent, arguing that such will cut government expenses and ensure sanity in the system.
“The attention of the Bauchi State government is drawn to the reaction of some students in Bauchi metropolis today regarding the full implementation of the 2018 government policy on sponsorship of candidates who passed the mock aptitude test.
“Though the deputy governor, Senator Baba Tela, has addressed the protesting students, it has become pertinent to inform the public that this government is committed to improving the standard of education in the state as it has taken cogent steps in that direction.
“However, the issue of corruption in WAEC sponsorship is one of those that could not be solved by the recent governments until now.
“As a responsible government, committed to reforms, this government conducted an aptitude test in all public schools.
“Out of the 21,000 students who were tested, 12,000 were found to be eligible; this figure, in addition to those in special schools, is what made a total of 13,011 candidates of whom the government would sponsor this year,” said the Chief of Staff.
He said the state government had pleaded with WAEC to allow parents of students who didn’t make the government sponsorship list to pay for their children, to which the exams body had agreed.
“It was never the policy of the government to sponsor all candidates in the first place.
“The money to do so is simply not there and this would not encourage hard-work among the students,” Salihu maintained.
On his part, the state commissioner for education, Dr. Aliyu Tilde who described himself as the major culprit behind the protests “for being the first to introduce the sponsorship policy” argued that his intentions were genuine when the sponsorship program was introduced.
He said government will not continue to sustain programs marred by corruption unless proper checks were put in place.
Dr. Aliyu said the trimming of the number of students to benefit with the sponsorship was in line with governor Bala’s quest to revive the continuously sinking education in the state.
WikkiTimes reports that students of senior secondary schools drawn from different parts of the state protested against the state’s government action to reduce candidates to benefit from government sponsorship of WAEC.
The protesting students were addressed by the deputy governor, Senator Baba Tela, who promised that the government will study their demands and react appropriately.
