Students, parents, and guardians in Abia State have expressed growing concern over the preparedness of public and private secondary schools for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), following the decision by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to adopt Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for the May/June diet.

WAEC had earlier announced plans to introduce the CBT format for secondary school leavers, a move intended to modernise the examination process.

A survey of several public and private schools across the state indicates that many lack the basic infrastructure required for the transition.

A significant number of schools do not have computer laboratories, while those with limited computer systems reportedly cannot accommodate up to one-third of their student population.

Findings further reveal that most of the schools operate without a stable electricity supply. Some rely occasionally on generating sets to power administrative offices, raising doubts about their capacity to conduct large-scale computer-based examinations.

Investigations also show that several privately owned secondary schools in the state are not accredited WAEC centres. Some of these schools reportedly register their Senior Secondary Three (SS3) students with institutions in neighbouring states to enable them to sit for the examination.

Another major challenge identified is the absence of reliable internet connectivity in nearly all the schools visited, a critical requirement for CBT implementation.

Teachers who spoke on condition of anonymity expressed concern that both school proprietors and the state government may struggle to provide the necessary equipment and facilities in time, even by 2027. They warned that this could prevent students from writing the examination within their own schools.

Some parents, including Mrs. Agatha Iheoma, argued that Nigeria may not yet be adequately prepared for full-scale CBT examinations at the secondary school level. She described the initiative as capital-intensive, noting that it could require substantial budgetary allocations from state governments to provide the required infrastructure.

An education analyst, Mr. Chidi Ndionye, acknowledged that the CBT format could significantly curb examination malpractice. However, he cautioned that considerable effort would be needed to ensure that students in public schools—not only in Abia but nationwide—are adequately equipped to transition to the new system.

“How many of the schools teach computers? How many of them even have a computer lab or hub?

“What is their student population compared to the number of computers in such schools?

“We have seen the Abia State budget for 2026. How much does the state have for equipping schools with computer sets?

“Government schools are so porous that people come into such schools to mess them up. Some of the government schools are now being hired out for people to use them for their churches and ministries.

“There is no security, and I am sure that any attempt made by the government to equip these schools with computers will be a wasted effort because the night after the installation of the computers will be the night when hoodlums will invade such schools to cart away the items.

“How many of the schools have access to the internet and electricity? Even the ones that have computers do not have enough to go around their student population.

“It shows how badly the state Ministry of Education has done in making sure that students in both public and private schools have access to modern learning and teaching technology.

“I heard the Governor talking about smart schools, and he said smart schools are yet to be completed. Those that they claimed to have been completed are yet to be equipped.

“For me, WAEC should not even consider public schools in this, their pilot exercise, because none of them is ready for such a test.

“Even the private schools should select random students because a good number of them don’t have computers that will go around their student population.”

However, the governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, speaking in Umuahia, the state capital, during a media parley with journalists, assured them that students of public schools in the state would participate in the 2026 edition of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) examination for secondary school leavers.

“For me, WAEC should not even consider public schools in this, their pilot exercise, because none of them is ready for such a test.

“Even the private schools should select random students because a good number of them don’t have computers that will go around their student population.”

However, the governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, speaking in Umuahia, the state capital, during a media parley with journalists, assured them that students of public schools in the state would participate in the 2026 edition of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) examination for secondary school leavers. (The Nation)