WAEC Deploys e-marker as Strategic Step to Meeting Global Best Practices

Funmi Ogundare

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has introduced e-marker in the process of its examination in line with global best practices for the assessment of theoretical questions which will ensure that marking will be done electronically, rather than manually.

The Head of Nigeria National Office (HNO) of the council, Mr. Olutise Adenipekun, who disclosed this yesterday during a meeting with the leadership of the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN), a body of education correspondents, said with the development, candidates would no longer take their theory questions papers home after their examinations, as answer booklets are now combined with the question papers.

He noted that the project is scheduled to begin with the ongoing November/December West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

The adoption of the Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the conduct of the examination, he added, is aimed not only at ensuring near perfection but to also lead globally in the area of examination integrity.

“The development does not mean that teachers who the body usually engages in the traditional marking method will be dropped, but they will still be engaged to handle the electronic-marking project.

“We are providing service and the people we are providing the service for are youths of the country, and youths naturally are restless; they want to see new things. If you assess well today, you will build the nation because the present youths will find themselves in several position of leadership in the future,” the HNO said.

Adenipekun promised that the WAEC template of assessing candidates would remain the same, adding that it will not be in the interest of Nigeria to lower the standard of the examination for whatever reason.

He commended the association for its foresight and contributions to national growth and development through quality reports.
Earlier, the Chairman of EWAN, Mr. Tunbosun Ogundare, thanked WAEC for extending its hands of fellowship to the association, while also pledging the commitment of the body to improve education coverage towards achieving the required reform in the sector.

He also appealed to the management of the examination body to always extend training and other collaborative programmes to the association’s members as a way of enhancing their knowledge of the education sector, saying such support would help the beneficiaries in the discharge of their responsibilities.