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Malpractice threatening education sector

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By Akintola Timothy

Schools found aiding and abetting exam malpractice to be severely punished.

The deviance of examination malpractice is one of the biggest challenges that Nigeria’s educational sector is faced with. Despite the constant efforts to curb this menace, it appears to increasingly build strong resistance against every systemic measure to abate it. Examination bodies such as the West African Examination Council (WAEC), National Examination Council (NEC) as well as the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) have recurrently introduced new policies and measures to combat this educational problem, to no avail.

WAEC 2018 statistics indicate that of the 1,572,396 registered students who sat for the examination, 102,058 results were withheld for cases of examination malpractice. In 2019, 180,205 results of the registered 1,590,173 students were also seized for examination misconducts and in 2020, 215,149 results were also seized, indicating that despite the steps taken to curb this menace, it has continually increased. This problem is not restricted to secondary schools but across all spheres of education.

Gov. Okowa urges WAEC not to relent in its fight against malpractice.

Governor of Delta State, Dr. Okowa, upon the open declaration of the 60th annual meeting of the Nigeria National Committee of WAEC in Asaba, Delta State, noted that the constant cases of examination were ruining the foundation of the country’s educational system. Governor Okowa, represented by Chief Patrick Ukah, the Secretary to the State Government, urged the management of WAEC and NNC not to relent in their efforts at procuring policies to significantly curb the menace of examination malpractice in the country.

During his statements he indicated that the government would continuously provide an enabling environment for students across all learning stages to accrue immense knowledge, whilst also imploring the parents to involve themselves in the educational development of their children. Expressing his concerns about the increased rate of malpractices, he warned that any school found aiding and abetting examination fraud or malpractice during the internal and external examinations would have to undergo rigorous review and punishment for their actions.

Despite myriads, WAEC remains successful in promoting quality education.

During the meeting he also admitted that in spite of the problematic myriads that have plagued the educational system in Nigeria, the West African Examination Council (WAEC) still remained a huge and poignant successful force for the promotion of quality education, and also the enhancement of regional cooperation among all the English-speaking countries in West Africa. With a unified vision, the Governor indicated that the examination body has been immensely successful in enhancing unity amongst every African country involved.

He observed that examination body had also enacted different initiatives to further improve the quality of its services, resulting in greater efficiency and achievements, as well as exploiting the advent of Information Communication Technology (ICT). The Governor however noted that Delta State, under his administration had experienced huge improvements in the areas of funding, teachers’ empowerment and proper school equipment, all in a bid to further improve the standard of education in the state.

WAEC to continually add value to the country’s educational goals.

The Head of WAEC in Nigeria, Mr. Patrick Areghan, during his welcome address, noted that the Nigeria National Committee of the examination body was the highest policy formulation organ of the exam council that involve in the formulation and execution of policies in the best interest of the public. He assured the public that WAEC would continually work to be a world-class examination body, improving its value to the educational objectives of every stakeholder in the country.


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