Private school owners in Ogun State have expressed concern that a significant number of students may be unable to sit for the 2025 May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) due to new compliance requirements introduced by the state government.

Several proprietors, who requested anonymity, said the situation could affect more than 70 per cent of Senior Secondary School 3 (SS3) students in private schools if urgent intervention is not made.

At the centre of the dispute is the mandatory requirement for candidates to possess a Learner Identification Number (LIN) before being cleared for WASSCE registration. The LIN system, introduced by the Ogun State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, is designed to maintain a central database of students enrolled in both public and private schools across the state.

According to affected school owners, challenges began after the state migrated from the OGSERA platform to a new system known as DIPER. They alleged that technical glitches on the new platform have made it difficult to retrieve or verify some students’ LIN details, including those who were previously registered on the system.

Proprietors also raised concerns about additional documentation requirements for students who transferred into Ogun State schools in SS2 or SS3 from other states. They claimed that such students are now required to present their Junior Secondary School (JSS3) certificates alongside first, second, and third term results from SS1 and SS2 before they can be cleared for WASSCE registration.

School owners argue that meeting these conditions within the limited timeframe for WAEC registration is unrealistic, especially for students who may face delays in obtaining academic records from former schools.

They have appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to intervene and grant more time for compliance, warning that failure to review the policy could leave thousands of students unable to sit for the examination this year.

A viral message circulating among education stakeholders also claimed that up to 700,000 private school students could be affected if the issues remain unresolved.

Government Defends Policy

Responding to the concerns, the Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Abayomi Arigbabu, said the government’s actions are aimed at strengthening accountability and preventing examination malpractice.

He explained that the LIN system was introduced about five years ago to ensure proper tracking of students in the state and to eliminate irregularities in examination registration processes.

According to the commissioner, every student enrolled in a school in Ogun State is expected to have a LIN long before reaching SS3. He dismissed suggestions that the policy was punitive, stating that the government is committed to sanitising the examination process.

Arigbabu also acknowledged reports of technical issues and assured stakeholders that genuine cases would be addressed. However, he maintained that the state would not relax measures designed to prevent impersonation and other forms of examination malpractice.

What This Means for Schools and Parents

With the WAEC registration window nearing closure, the situation has heightened anxiety among school administrators and parents.

Education stakeholders say clarity, flexibility, and improved technical support will be essential in ensuring that compliant schools and eligible students are not unfairly affected.

As discussions continue, both school proprietors and government officials appear to agree on one key objective — protecting the integrity of the examination process while ensuring that students’ academic futures are not jeopardised.