Outcry as Imo pupils write examinations in darkness after delays
Parents in Imo State have expressed outrage over the conduct of the 2026 First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) and Common Entrance examinations after hundreds of pupils were forced to sit for the examinations in darkness following hours of delay in the distribution of examination materials.
The examinations, which were scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Friday, reportedly extended beyond 7 p.m. in several centres across the state, leaving many pupils, most of them under 12 years old, hungry, exhausted and exposed to the cold after spending the entire day at their examination centres.
According to reports, heavy rainfall delayed the delivery of question papers and answer booklets, while some centres also experienced a shortage of examination materials, forcing pupils to share question papers or write the examinations in batches.
At centres including Shell Camp Primary School, Kingdom Heritage Model School, World Bank Primary School and Barclays International School in Irete, anxious parents waited for hours as the examinations failed to commence on schedule.
The development sparked widespread criticism from parents, who described the exercise as poorly organised and called for sanctions against officials of the Imo State Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
One parent, Chukwudi, condemned the conduct of the examinations, describing the organisers as incompetent and unorganised. Another parent, Chinwe, lamented that children who left their homes before 8 a.m. amid heavy rainfall were still writing examinations late into the night.
Another parent alleged that insufficient question papers at the Shell Camp Primary School centre forced candidates to either share copies or sit the examination in batches, describing the experience as psychologically traumatic for the young pupils.
The parent added that many of the children endured hunger, fatigue and the harsh weather throughout the day before eventually completing the examinations.
When contacted for a reaction, the Imo State Commissioner for Primary and Secondary Education, Prof. Bernard Ikegwuoha, declined to comment on the incident, saying he had nothing to say for the time being.
The incident has since generated widespread reactions on social media, with many parents demanding accountability and reforms to improve the organisation of future examinations.
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