By Paul Orude
The family of Musaddik Jamilu Bature has raised alarm over the alleged refusal of the management of Dolphin Maria College, Bauchi to allow their son sit for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) conducted by West African Examinations Council.
Musaddik Jamilu Bature is allegedly barred from sitting for ongoing WAEC examinations by the College, Bauchi.
The family, through their legal counsel, S.G Idris & Co., described the action of the school as “unlawful and unconstitutional,” insisting that the student had already been duly registered for the examination.
In a press statement jointly signed by H.I. Yashi Esq., Ismail Ibrahim Esq., A.U. Adam Esq., U.M. Waziri Esq., and S.A. Balloko Esq., the lawyers called for the urgent intervention of the Minister of Education, the Bauchi State, Commissioner for Education, Governor of Bauchi State, and the Chairman of the Bauchi State House of Assembly Committee on Education.
According to the statement, Musaddik, an SS2 student of Dolphin Maria College, missed the school’s international mock examination after falling ill shortly after the Sallah break.
The family, however, expressed surprise that the school allegedly used his absence from the mock examination as grounds to prevent him from participating in the ongoing WAEC examination.
“Our client is a duly registered WAEC candidate and therefore qualified to sit for the examination. Preventing him from writing the examination amounts to a violation of his constitutional right to education as guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Child Rights Act 2003,” the statement read.
The lawyers argued that WAEC is a regional examination and not an internal school assessment, stressing that the school’s mock examination is not a legal requirement for participation in WAEC.
They further claimed that even students expelled from schools or convicts serving prison terms are often allowed to sit for WAEC examinations, adding that sick candidates are also permitted to write examinations from hospital beds.
The family also alleged that Dolphin Maria College routinely registers SS2 students for WAEC examinations, noting that several SS2 students in the school are currently participating in the ongoing examination.
The lawyers questioned why the school accepted payment and registered Musaddik for the examination if it intended to later deny him participation on the basis of being in SS2.
The family said several attempts were made to resolve the issue amicably through phone calls, personal visits, and appeals by prominent individuals within and outside Bauchi State, but all efforts reportedly failed.
Meanwhile the management of Dolphin Mari College Bauchi has responded to the allegation.
In its reaction, the Management of the College through Musa Simon, the School/PTA PRO said its decision to stop Musadiq Jamil Bature from writing the ongoing WAEC exams was based on school policy.
According to the school, although Musadiq is an SS2 student and his WAEC registration was optional, he failed to meet a key requirement of sitting for the school’s compulsory mock examinations held between March 26 and April 3, 2026.
The management stated that neither Musadiq nor his parents informed the school about any illness during the examination period, adding that he and his sister had also missed several weeks of classes earlier in the term.
The school argued that these factors raised concerns about his academic preparedness.
It further explained that it offered him an opportunity to register for the upcoming NECO SSCE on the condition that he writes the mock exams, but the parents rejected the option and insisted on his participation in WAEC.
The school maintained that allowing him to sit for the exam would undermine its policies, weaken academic discipline, and set a bad precedent.
It also claimed the student may have avoided the mock exams because of poor academic performance and vowed to defend its actions and the integrity of the institution in court if necessary.
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