WAEC To Sanction Students, Schools Over Cases Of Examination Malpractice

Some Offenders Will Be Barred From WAEC Exams For Years

By Austin Oyibode & Florence Ebebe

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) on Thursday resolved that appropriate sanctions will be meted out to established cases of examination malpractices as prescribed by the rules and regulations governing the proper conduct of the council’s examinations.

The examination body also said it will approve cancellation of the entire results of candidates involved in proven cases severe malpractice, while subjects of those involved in proven cases which should attract cancellation will be cancelled accordingly.

The decision was reached at the 65^th meeting of the Nigerian Examinations Council of the West African Examinations Council(WAEC) held between Wednesday and Thursday at Excellence Hotel and Conference Centre, Ogba in Lagos state.

The committee which is the highest decision making organ of WAEC on examination related matters also said some candidates will suffer other sanctions such as barring them from sitting for the council’s examination for a period of years.

The body said the decision will be implemented without delay and affected candidates and examination centers will be duly informed by the council, just as it said the results of candidates who were exonerated by the committee will be released.

The decision of the committee was followed by a report it received on irregularity, special and clemency cases arising from the conduct of the WASSCE for school candidates 2017 earlier considered at the 64^th meeting of the committee and that of private candidates 2018 first series.

The committee considered special cases, clemency cases and restitution cases from the WASSCE for private candidates 2017 and 2018 first series.

The committee also received and considered reports of the aptitude test department for the period October 2017 to February 2018 and on the activities of the research department of the council for the period November 2017 to March 2018.

With regard to the general resume of the chief examiners report on the WASSCE for private candidates 2017, the committee noted the observation by the chief examiners that the standard of the papers compared favourably with that of the previous year, adding that the questions were within the scope of the syllabus and the ability of the students.

It said the committee noted the alarming rate of collusion cases and the concomitant effect of the poor infrastructure and poor supervision by teachers and called on stakeholders in the education sector to support WAEC in its efforts to address the menace in the system.

The committee also observed that the bringing of mobile phones to examination centers halls to perpetrate malpractice has increased and hence called on supervisors and invigilators to ensure strict compliance with rules that disallow the use of phones and other electronic devices during the examinations.

A communiqué signed by Mr. Damianus Ojijeogu, Head Of Public Affairs; also stressed the need for governments at all levels to exercise the political will and clampdown on malpractice in public examinations, adding that fighting the scourge should not be left for the examination bodies alone.

The committee commended WAEC for organizing the international summit on examination malpractice and urged it to organize periodic orientation programmes on examination programmes for all stakeholders in education to help sensitize them with facts and figures on the harm being done by the scourge.