WAEC introduces chatbot to ease public engagement | EduCeleb
EduCeleb
10th August 2021
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has launched its Request Management System, also known as CHATBOT, in a bid to ease access to council’s services.
Its Head of National Office (HNO) in Nigeria, Mr Patrick Areghan, made this known at a news conference on Tuesday in Lagos.
According to him, the CHATBOT is an intelligent application, which provides auto responses for candidates and other stakeholders’ requests, based on the list of services available.
Areghan noted that the CHATBOT boasts of services such as request services, examination services and result services among others.
”For instance, under request services, you can indicate that you want to change your name or anything you want WAEC to do for you,” he explained.
He said that plans had been concluded for the smooth conduct of this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates which would start next Monday nationwide.
”In accordance with the final international timetable, our WASSCE 2021, will take place through out the sub-region from Monday, August 16
”However, the examination will end in Nigeria on Sept. 30, spanning a period of seven weeks.
”Statistics for the examination shows that a total of 19,425 recognised secondary schools, comprising 8.052 public and 11,373 private schools, spread across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, will be presenting a total of 1,573,789 candidates.
”This comprises of 792,620 males (50.36%) and 781,169 females (49.64%), for the examination.
”Candidates would be examined in 76 subjects, made up of 197 papers. About 25,000 senior teachers would be participating in the examination as supervisors,” he said.
He listed the COVID-19 pandemic as a major reason for the disruption and distortion of the academic calendar in the sub-region.
”Once again, the examination is going to be conducted under a rather hostile environment, in view of the resurgent COVID-19 (Third wave) pandemic and the un-abating security challenges in some parts of the country.
”As you are aware, the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to ravage the world. Therefore, in conducting the examination, we are once again going to religiously adhere to all the prescribed COVID-19 protocols.
”All examination functionaries have been adequately briefed to ensure compliance. All schools have been mandated to provide hand sanitizers, running-water buckets and detergent/soap at designated points at all examination centres,” he said.
The HNO added that WAEC supervisors, candidates, invigilators, staff and other examination functionaries would wear their face masks and wash/sanitize their hands regularly in the course of their duties.
According to him, schools will also provide and operate the thermometer hand-gun on all candidates and examination functionaries, at the entrance of the school premises.
Areghan added that council would also ensure physical and social distancing.
On the issue of security and insecurity, the WAEC boss said the council was liaising with the relevant security agencies, as this was purely within their purview.
”Let me also use this opportunity to warn all schools, candidates, supervisors, invigillators, principals and proprietors of schools, and indeed, all examination functionaries, to desist from all acts of examination malpractice.
”All rogue-website operators are hereby seriously warned to desist from their nefarious acts. They should be patriotic citizens and stop giving WAEC a bad name.
”It is only lazy schools and candidates that resort to examinations malpractice. Any one caught conniving with rogue-website operators or patronising them, will be seriously dealt with.
”We are also closely watching out for the so-called ‘Special’ or ‘Miracle’ centres. These are not coinages by WAEC. They exist only in the imaginations of the perpetrators and patronisers.
”Even though we cannot claim to be oblivious of such a scenario, they are centres where candidates are promised assistance for cheap grades by ‘examination contractors. We will definitely not allow them,” he warned.
Areghan then said the final international time table had been sent to participating schools through the council’s branch and zonal offices.
He also said that the National Identification Number (NIN) would become mandatory for registration for its school certificate examination from 2022.
The WAEC boss said that the NIN would become a major requirement for registration for WASSCE for school candidates with effect from 2022 and subsequent diets.
”It will be No NIN, no entry,” he stated.
According to Areghan, this means that all prospective candidates must register with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and get their NIN.
He noted that the development was in line with the Federal Government’s policy as directed by the Federal Ministry of Education.