Final-year students face WASSCE, UTME uncertainty’

Parents of students in some Federal Government Unity Colleges across the country are counting the cost of the lingering dispute between the Federal Ministry of Education and organised labour over the proposed concession of King’s College, Lagos, as the 2026/2027 academic session enters its second week.

The development has left parents facing difficult choices, including how to keep their children occupied, supervise them while they work, and, in some cases, arrange alternative academic activities until normal school operations resume.

Some parents who spoke with The Guardian said they are now considering private lessons and other arrangements to prevent their children from falling behind academically.

A parent, Tony Imansuangbon, whose children are in their final classes, said the prolonged dispute had become a growing concern, particularly as they prepare for critical examinations.

He said that the disruption of academic activities could affect their children’s preparations for the forthcoming West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), both of which are crucial to their next stage of education.

Imansuangbon lamented that the uncertainty surrounding the resumption of classes was particularly troubling for parents of graduating students, who are already under pressure to ensure that their children are adequately prepared for the examinations.

For Eunice Otomewo, the disruption has become an unexpected financial burden, as she has had to buy textbooks and hire a private tutor for her children following the continued closure of their school.

She said that the continued uncertainty is already taking its toll on the academic calendar, with students likely to bear the consequences of the prolonged confrontation.

Another parent, Hauwa Abubakar, said that the lingering crisis had turned into a fresh struggle, as the prolonged disruption of academic activities leaves her grappling with how to keep her children engaged while meeting the demands of everyday life.

She said, “As a single parent, the disruption places an added burden on her, particularly as she has to shoulder the responsibility of keeping her children learning outside the classroom while also worrying about the financial implications of the prolonged stay at home.

“I am worried about how long this will continue because the children are the ones who will eventually suffer the consequences.”