Rep. committee slams school authorities over exam malpractices

By JOHN ONAH, Abuja

Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Services, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere has accused school authorities in the country of conniving with Examination officers to help candidates cheat in examination.

Ihonvbere who disclosed this at a National Sensitisation workshop on Examination Malpractice in Nigeria on Friday in Abuja, noted that examination malpractice has no control in the villages across the nation.

“School Authorities collected from students above the fees from the examination bodies to help them cheat in the examination”, he said.

He lamented that these schools are breeding crooks who would turn around to sell the country in future if there was no refocus in educational system.

In his welcome address, the Registrar/Chief Executive, National Examination Council (NECO), Prof. Ibrahim Wushishi said one of the biggest challenges bedeviling the conduct of public examinations now was the issue of examination malpractice.

According to him, the workshop was thoughtful and timely which should address the ways and means that can be adopted to curb the menace and re-orient the minds of the youths concerning the cankerworm.

He noted that no nation  develop when its youths indulge in sharp practices such as examination malpractice. 

“No doubt, examination malpractice has the tendency to discourage harwork among serious students, lowers educational standards, discredit certificates, and lead to the production of quacks, thereby affecting the manpower needs of the nation. We must therefore take collective responsibility to rid them of this bad habit of wanting to cut corners”, he said.