Stakeholders have continued to oppose what they describe as arbitrary increment in the fees for this year’s West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) by candidates being organized by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

It was gathered from some private school owners and parents that WAEC’s decision to increase the examination fees was not communicated to schools and parents in good time.

And while many schools and parents were still struggling to pay the new fees, the examination body announced the closure of registration and subsequently imposed N5, 000 as penalty for late registration.

Against school proprietor’s claim that WAEC had set March 28 deadline for the 2022 WASCCE, a letter signed by Dr Adunola Osoba, the Deputy Registrar/Zonal Coordinator, WAEC, dated March 23, school proprietors were told that the registration, which closed midnight March 20, would be reopened on March 21 and closed April 3, with N5000 as penalty for late registration for each candidate.

“However, late registration with a penalty of five thousand naira (N5000) only per candidate commenced on Monday, 21st March, 2022, and will run till midnight of Sunday, 3rd April, 2022", the letter read.

“Those who have purchased pins but failed to upload will also be required to pay the penalty fee”, the letter added.

It was gathered the Lagos State Chapter of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), had formally appeal to WAEC to drop the penalty charges, stating that the registrations exercise was slowed down because most parents and schools were not prepared for the increment in fees.

Many of the parents said that their children and wards may end up not writing the examinations this year because they found it difficult raising the examination fees and the N5,000 penalty slammed on each student whose school for late registration.