Secondary school students in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State have called on the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to consider the plight of young people registering for its examinations in Nigeria in determining the cost of such registrations.

In different chats with Kristina Reports recently, some of the students lamented that the cost of registering for WAEC examinations have become unaffordable for some of them due to the steady rise in candidates’ fees.

One of them told Kristina Reports, anonymously, that “the money is too much, every year they keep increasing it, they should understand that the economy is bad and they should consider the fact that all students are coming from well-to-do families”.

A female student, who simply addressed as Onengiye, described the system as “rigid”, stressing that the incessant rise in candidates’ fee is alarming and seemingly unfair”.

“I’m paying more than N30,000 for just WAEC fee, not to talk of the school fees I’ll pay. They should take it easy on us. We still have to buy books to study and other things to aid our preparation.”

On his part, Brave Ogan, a student of Excel Comprehensive College, Ogan-Ama applauded the efforts of WAEC in making the examination comprehensible.

“I have seen the past questions, the exam is quite comprehensible, I’ve also attempted them and I must confess, it’s a commendable effort.”

Ogan, however, lamented that the fee is becoming outrageous and something should be done about it.

“My only issue is the amount we pay, it’s too much. They should see how they can do something about it, cus all fingers are not equal.”

Reacting, a principal of one of the secondary schools in Okrika LGA, who prefers to be anonymous, said he has received several messages and calls from students as regards the fee and no explanation has sufficed.

“We can do nothing about it, we just have to comply with their standards and the pain is we’re not given any explanation as to why the increment so we can relate to parents and guardians.”

“We, however, hope this message will get to them and they will swing into action, so that by the next session, we can have a good and favourable condition of exam.”

Efforts by Kristina Reports to reach the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) on the matter was yet unsuccessful as at the time of this report.