By M. Neywon Mengonfia, Contributing Writer
At long last, about 33,972 Liberian Senior high school students have completed the writing of the West African Senior Secondary Council Exams (WASSCE).
The test lasted for about three weeks and ended at the weekend (April 20, 2018) with senior students from Liberia and other African countries writing the same exams at the same time.
Speaking to cross-section of 12th grad students in Liberia, they generally expressed optimism that they will make the required marks needed for successful pass in the WASSCE.
Archie Twegbeh of the Carver Mission Academy in the Monrovia suburb of Paynesville said at first he had some fear about the test, but said after the first day, he became relaxed.
According to him, all he felt was that the test was something very strange and that it was not just possible for one to make a pass, but was quick to say that it was on the contrary of what he expected.
He went on to say that with the level of academic activities carried out by his institution, he is very sure to make a pass in the international examination.
He praised his school administration for ensuring that they had an equipped lab, something he said helped them for
He said “what I want school authorities to do is to equip their labs with those needed equipment that will help students meet up with other students in the region”.
According to him, some of the things they saw were not in lab of their institutions.
“During the test, we saw some equipment which we were told to name their parts and function, some were really strange to some of us,” student Twegbeh said.
He and other student maintain that their biggest challenge was the practical science portion of the exams due to the absence of laboratories in most of the schools in Liberia.
They are therefore suggesting that schools across the country be equipped with basic lab facilities to prepare Liberian students for future WASSE exams.
Despite the lapses due to the lack of Science labs, student Kebbeh Kenneh, of the Carver Mission Academy said “we were given books according to the WASSCE syllables. From those books, I saw some of questions from them…..Thanks be to our teachers for the level of preparations during the class time”.
When she was quizzed which subject she loved best, Kebbeh said, “I love literature and History, I love reading subjects”.
Nathan Sambollah of the Jahz Jet School also stressed the need for science labs in the Liberian school system as means of preparing Liberian students for the WASSCE.
He indicated that the just ended test result will be good, but the need to establish labs in high schools cannot be overlooked.
“When our schools are equipped with labs, our teachers well trained, we will be on pad with our colleagues in other parts of Africa,” student Nathan Sambollah assserted.
Shortly after the final paper was written last Friday, many high school seniors were seen on the streets rejoicing, dancing and removing their neckties as they bid a hopeful goodbye to high School.
The WASSCE has been a pilot project in the Liberian educational system since 2013 until the just-ended2018 WASSCE exams.
Meanwhile, a group of Liberian12th grade students at the weekend paid a courtesy call on President George Manneh Weah to commend him for making good his promise that government would underwrite the WASSCE fees for all the over 33,000 high school seniors who sat the exams.
They expressed deep gratitude to the Liberian leader for the gesture, which they said had removed the strained from ther parents and guardians.
During the last 2017 campaign period, the CDC Standard Bearer promised to pay the fees of all senior students throughout Liberia, a pledge that has now been fulfilled.