Okon Bassey in Uyo
The federal government has tasked stakeholders to team up together in order to succeed in eradicating the menace of examination malpractice in the education sector in Nigeria.
The Minister of State for Education, Mr. Goodluck Opiah, made the appeal in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, saying tackling examination malpractice in the country requires the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders.
He spoke at a one-day sensitisation workshop on the theme: ‘Role of Education Stakeholders in Tackling Examination Malpractice in Nigeria’.
The minister said the dangerous and negative effect of examination malpractice to the development of the country requires all hands to be on deck in order to combat the menace.
According to Opiah, “Such efforts requires the total re-orientation in order to engender attitudinal change in the minds of the youths, community leaders, parents and teachers as well as those in the position of authority.
“All stakeholders such as teachers, parents and even students must show a high level of commitment and honesty.
“Parent should also periodically check the activities of their children and wards, ensure proper moral training and support punishment for offenders. The government must also put in place policy to deter such acts and punish offenders.
“Therefore all hands must be on deck to ensure total eradication of examination malpractice at all levels of education in Nigeria.”
In his message, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, regretted that examination malpractice has become a social plague in Nigeria and have built a strong defence over the years despite fight against it.
Emmanuel, who was represented by state Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Idongesit Etiebet, said the menace is being fuelled by social media, and blamed parents and school authorities for supporting and aiding their wards and students to be involved in the crime.
The state, the governor said, has maintained zero tolerance for examination malpractice with adequate measures put in place to tackle it, and has continued to spend at least N1billion annually to register students in public schools for internal and external examinations.
He explained that his administration has increased the construction of laboratories and constructed perimetre fences, deployed security guards and retrained teachers to improve the quality of teaching and learning to reduce examination malpractice in the area.
In a welcome address, the Registrar of NECO, Prof Ibrahim Wushishi, said the workshop was meant to proffer strategies that could be adopted to curb the menace of examination malpractice and reorient the minds of the youths concerning the cankerworm, “as no nation develops when its youths indulge in sharp practices such as examination malpractice.
“We must therefore take collective responsibility to rid them of this bad habit of wanting to cut corners.”
Also, the Vice Chairman, Senate Committees on Basic and Secondary Education, Akon Enyakenyi, in her message, commended NECO for spearheading the fight against examination malpractice, and pledged the legislative backing of the Senate to strategies and efforts aimed at curing the menace in the country.
On his own, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Services, Prof Julius Ihonvebere, expressed disappointment over the increasing menace of examination malpractice in the country.
He called on stakeholders to de-emphasis paper qualification and focus more on practical and technical education as a country without this, “remain on the pathway to destruction.”
