Exams are no cause for fear – Haruna Iddrisu to Zebilla WASSCE candidates

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has urged students of Zebilla Senior High Technical School to approach their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) with confidence, dismissing fear and intimidation in academic spaces.

Speaking to the students on Monday morning ahead of their General Science paper, Mr. Iddrisu encouraged them to remain calm and focused during the examination period.

“I am here this morning to encourage you as you leap forward in the last stretch of the West African Senior Certificate examinations,” he said. “It is just to test what you have learned over the period and to put it to good use. So be confident you are passing and you will pass.”

But his visit was marked by a striking revelation.

According to the minister, he was offered a bulletproof jacket upon his arrival in the Upper East Region, an offer he rejected. “I was given a bulletproof jacket to wear. I declined to wear it, not because I don’t value or cherish my life, because I value yours too,” Iddrisu stated, drawing the attention of the students.

He explained that his refusal was symbolic, stressing that schools must remain safe spaces free of militarisation.

“Bulletproof doesn’t belong to an academic learning environment. Today, tomorrow, and forever, we should not encourage even the mere presence of police and military in this learning environment. It does not provide for a conducive learning atmosphere and environment that you need to thrive in your studies,” he emphasised.

Mr. Iddrisu further underscored that examinations should not be treated as life-threatening ordeals but as an opportunity to demonstrate learning.

“Consider exams as normal. It is just to test what you have learned over the period and to put it to good use,” he said.

His comments sparked a lively interaction with the students, who he jokingly reminded not to envy him for being offered a bulletproof vest.

The minister’s visit comes at a time when heightened security concerns have cast a shadow over parts of the Upper East Region.

His decision to openly reject protective gear highlighted his broader message that classrooms must remain places of peace and intellectual growth rather than fear and suspicion.

As the students prepared to sit for the their paper, Mr. Iddrisu left them with words of hope and encouragement.

“I wish you good luck and I wish you all success,” he told them.  “Be confident, and you will pass.”