THE 2025 NECO EXAM MALPRACTICES
The authorities should investigate the widespread misdeeds
Examination malpractices not only undermine fairness and equal opportunity, but they also distort the accuracy of educational evaluations of students. Unfortunately, misconducts of all stripes have over the years become pronounced in many of the examinations in the country. From cheating with the aid of phones or other electronic devices to collusion, leakage of questions, bribery and impersonation, these malpractices pose a significant risk to the dependability of examination results and certification of our students. We therefore hope that the National Examinations Council (NECO) will be thorough in their investigations into widespread malpractices involving 38 schools across 13 states during the conduct of the 2025 Senior School Certificate Examination. According to the NECO Registrar, Ibrahim Wushishi, nine supervisors were also recommended for blacklisting “due to poor supervision, aiding and abetting, lateness, unruly behaviour, assault, and insubordination.”
We commend the action of NECO as we urge their authorities to sanitise the process through which candidates are graded. But we must admit that this is a widespread institutional problem despite the Examination malpractice Act, 1999 which prescribes stringent punishment for the crime. Weak oversight and societal pressure have been identified as some of the challenges. While serious nations are seeing higher education standards as part of the heated contest for development and leading edge in every discipline, Nigerian authorities are not paying enough attention.
For years, a major proof of the downward slide in the education sector in Nigeria is the growing cases of examination malpractices. What the NECO report reveals is that the vexatious issue, rather than abate, has been on a steady rise. This has become a cause of grave concern considering the destructive effects on the education sector in the country.
Today, we have a situation in which graduates of many of our tertiary institutions are barely literate. Even the so-called literate ones among them are uncreative and unproductive. The corporate labour market shuns them. Therefore, it is only natural to do more screening to ensure that the candidates that will be presented to our tertiary institutions are fit and worthy. It is sad that, rather than reading their books and preparing adequately for exams, the first option many students at various levels look for is the opportunity to cheat. It is even more disheartening to know that some parents connive with school authorities to perpetrate this social malady.
Since examination malpractices sometimes involve bribery, it is part of the general corruption the country is trying to uproot. But considering its danger to the quality of our human capital and by extension, our national image, there is an urgent need for a thorough overhaul of our education system to curtail this malaise. It is a national shame that requires the involvement of all stakeholders to eradicate. We must precipitate a return to the days when academic excellence and hard work were rewarded just as sloth and mediocrity were punished.
A thorough overhaul of our education system should be initiated and implemented urgently to curtail this malaise. This should include addressing the problem of inadequate funding, poor teaching quality, and related issues. In addition, anti-malpractice measures should be enforced while increased surveillance, stricter penalties should be imposed. The legislature needs to update the laws with severe sanctions to act as a deterrent to students, teachers, institutions and parents alike.
We must also admit that examination malpractices are just symptoms of the general decay in the educational sector that must be addressed by all stakeholders. The re-introduction of reading and library classes as compulsory components in primary and secondary schools will help to stimulate and inculcate the reading culture in students.
