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Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, on Thursday, in Lagos, called on every individual, institution and government at all levels to rise up and jointly fight examination malpractice in the country, saying that is the only way to bring to the barest minimum or completely stamp out the scourge from Nigeria’s education system.
He made the call in his remark at the national sensitization workshop on examination malpractice which was organised by the National Examinations Council(NECO) in conjunction with the National Assembly.
The one-day forum has in attendance key stakeholders in the education sector including school principals, parents, examination organisations such as the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), and members of the Senate and House of Representatives, among others in attendance.
Speaking further, the minister, who was represented by the Registrar of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof I-shaq Oloyede, said cases of exam malpractice in Nigeria and across levels of education have reached a crescendo level and things must be done fast to reverse the trend.
He said even though exam malpractice is a global and not only Nigeria problem, its adverse consequences on quality education and economic development are too disastrous.
Adamu said the disturbing part of it is that almost everyone even parents is directly or indirectly involved in exam malpractice in the country, emphasising that all hands must be on deck to fight the scourge.
He, however, urged examination bodies to adopt multi-dimensional approaches and the deployment of information and communication technology as a way to go right from registration of candidates for exams.
He pledged that the Federal Government would continue to uphold its principle of zero tolerance for exam malpractice in all Nigerian schools.
In their separate remarks, the Vice Chairman Senate Committee on Basic Education, Akon Eyakenyi and the Chairman of the House of Reps Committee on Basic Education and Services, Prof Julius Ihonvbere, said both the two legislative chambers seriously frown at examination malpractice.
They said not only students, teachers and schools should be blamed for exam malpractice but also parents, guardians and the media also contribute greatly to the menace.
They said they would continue to step up their oversight functions on education and continue the conversation towards stamping out exam malpractice in the country.
In his welcome address, Registrar of NECO, Ibrahim Wushishi, a Professor of Science Education, said the essence of the workshop is not only to sensitize stakeholders on the scourge of exam malpractice and its consequences on nation’s building but majorly to find a workable and effective solution to reverse the trend.
He said NECO as an examination body records on yearly basis in its various exams huge cases of exam malpractice and it is seriously worried and disturbed by the development.
He said just as the examination bodies are designing strategies to prevent exam malpractice, the students and their collaborators which at times include exam officials, teachers and parents play smarter by devising new methods to beat the examiners.
“But we must not fold our arms and watch the system get deteriorated rather rise up as we are doing now to jointly fight the menace and bring it to the barest minimum or completely stamp it out from our society,” he said.
He noted that the workshop which he said is for the southwest zone would be replicated in turn in the other five geo-political zones of the country before the end of this year.
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