Esomnofu Chidiebube Ifechukwu, a mathematics teacher, has recounted the ordeal he passed through while marking WAEC scripts.
Chidiebube, who last marked scripts in 2019, accused the West African examination body of mistreating teachers and poorly paying them for the job.
The tutor lamented that it took him two weeks to finish marking the scripts, adding that he had sleepless nights, tired eyes, no rest, no weekends and no side work.
In his words:
“WHY I STOPPED MARKING WAEC SCRIPTS.
The last time I marked WAEC scripts was in 2019 — and I still haven’t healed from it.
I was given a little over 300 scripts to mark.
Each script filled with long theory questions — with sub-questions a, b, and c.
It wasn’t a job. It was punishm€my.
I spent two full weeks.
Sleepless nights.
Tired eyes.
No weekends.
No side work.
No rest.
Just me, a red pen, and a heavy heart…
…For every script I marked, I was paid ₦13.
When you calculate it, it gave me just around ₦4,000.
The rest of what made my total pay up to ₦13,000 was for so-called “logistics”:
Transportation, corrections, and back-and-forth stress that I paid for with my own strength and sanity.
But in the end, what was left to take home?
Nothing. Nothing but pa!n…”
“…I saw colleagues take multiple packs —
600… 900… even 1,200 scripts —
Not because they had the strength, but because they were desperate for more money as the pay per pack is small.
And when the burden became too much, they handed the scripts to anyone who could help them meet the deadline — students, friends, even non-teachers who didn’t understand the subject…”
He said he would resume marking WAEC scripts when the exam body effects real change and begins valuing teachers’ efforts.
The tutor accused WAEC of treating teachers as cheap machines and not human beings. Maths teacher’s outcry sparks conversations. Some reactions to the teacher’s outcry below:
Alimosood Olalekan Olohunlowu said: “My wife marked it once and I won’t encourage her to do it again.”
Imoh Peter Chinagorom said: “I did once and didn’t try it again. It was not a good experience for me. I couldn’t take my mind off the paper. Nothing else matters to me that period and I don’t think I want to go that lane again unless something tangible is coming out of it. I only go for coordination and go back home.”
Basic Maths with Master Jude said: “Very true Sir. 2017 I went for the marking briefing and was told how much per script will cost. I returned the pack I was giving with the excuse of travelling out of the state for one week. Most government teachers are not ambitious and they see the job as their last bus stop, that is the reason they accept ill treatment of a job that is supposed to be a noble job.”
