Delta Shuts down Two Private Schools, Sanctions 16 Teachers

Delta Shuts down Two Private Schools, Sanctions 16 Teachers

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Delta State Government has made good its threat to wield the big sticks against any school, teacher or education ministry official found culpable for examination malpractices by ordering the closure of two private secondary schools for the malpractice.

The state government also sanctioned 16 teachers across the state for their alleged involvement in various levels of examination malpractice.

The government took the decision following the approval by the State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Patrick Ukah, of the report of the Examination Ethics Disciplinary Committee (EEDC) investigation of West African Examinations Council (WAEC), which indicted some public and private secondary schools in the state for examination malpractices at the 2018 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).The government said that Saint Vincent College, Ovwian, Udu Local Government Area, whose candidates allegedly wrote the 2018 WASSCE at Anointed Secondary School, Ubogo, without the approval of WAEC or the ministry with intent to commit examination malpractice, would be closed down along with Anointed Secondary School in the same locality.

In the same vein, 12 examinations supervisors who were alleged to have been “found guilty of collusion, compromise, negligence of duty and failure to write reports at the end of the examinations will suffer one year deferment of promotion and banned from supervision of any school examination for a period of three years.

The list of the supervisors who were allegedly sanctioned include Mr. Akporode Amos of Boboroku Secondary School, Boboroku, who supervised at Ogharefe Secondary School, Oghara; Mr. Ugbune O. of Mosogar Secondary School, Mosagar, at Ogharefe Secondary School, Oghara; Nwabueze A. I. of Ukavbe Secondary School, Otefe-Oghara, at Our Lady of Nigeria Secondary School Ogharefe, and Agbavwe G. W. of Ihwighwu Secondary School, Ijomi-Oghara, at Our Lady of Nigeria Secondary School, Ogharefe, all in Ethiope West.

Others were Omeresan M. E. of Gbaraun Grammar School, Oporoza, at Ogidigben Grammar School, Ogidigben, and Sawacha F. T. of Gbaraun Grammar School, Oporoza, at Ogidigben Grammar School, Ogidigben; Eko Patrick of Gbaraun Grammar School, Oporoza, at Ogidigben Grammar School, Ogidigben; Elelekute M. of Gbaraun Grammar School, Oporoza, at Ogidigben Grammar School, Ogidigben and Awoyemi S. O. of Ogbe-Ijoh Grammar School, Ogbe-Ijoh, at Ogidigben Grammar School, Ogidigben, all in Warri South-West.

The list also included Ariredieg O. F. of Burutu Grammar School, Burutu, at Ogidigben Grammar School, Ogidigben; Igbigbi E. E. of Orhuwhorun High School, Orhuwhorun at St. Vincent College, Ovwian, and Igweze M. O. of Aladja Grammar School, Aladja, at St. Vincent College, Ovwian.

The Vice-Principal (Academics) of Ogidigben Grammar School, Ogidigben, Mrs. H. Akponeware, who was allegedly “found guilty of inefficiency in handling the affairs of the school in the absence of the Principal due to her nonchalant attitude, negligence of duty and connivance during the conduct of 2018 WA­­­­­SSC is to be demoted by one salary grade level.”

Similarly, the Examination Officer of Ogidigben Grammar School, Mr. Akpochimara Ufuoma, was allegedly found guilty of gross complicity in the act of examination malpractice, compromise, sharing money amongst supervisors and pressurising WAEC Officers/Supervisors to release question papers and answer scripts for candidates outside the examination hall and is to be demoted by one salary grade level.

Similarly, Supervisor for Mathematics 2 at St. Vincent College, Ovwian, Ms Onoriode Q, was alleged to be guilty of not writing report to the ministry or WAEC and is to be banned from supervising any school examination for three years.

Nonetheless, Ukah warned those who might be nursing intention to indulge in examination malpractices to perish the thought as “the Delta State Government has zero tolerance for the act.”

He promised stiffer penalties on any person that would be caught in examination malpractice no matter how highly placed and advised them to operate within the provisions of the rules guiding the conduct of examinations in the state.

The approved recommendations have been duly forwarded to the PPEB for implementation, Ukah added.

The EEDC, which is chaired by a permanent secretary, is an inter-ministerial body with representatives from the Ministry of Justice, Post Primary Education Board (PPEB), Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Association of Private School Owners of Nigeria (APSON), the Director of Examinations as well as that of Inspectorate Department in the ministry.

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