A NATION’S FUTURE AND EXAMS MALPRACTICE MENACE

A NATION’S FUTURE AND EXAMS MALPRACTICE MENACE

From isolated petty cases in past years, cheating in examinations has now reached massive dimensions, casting doubt on the integrity of our educational system. There was a time in which examination malpractices were relatively unknown – when children were brought up with good morals, honesty, imbibed the virtues of hard work and righteous determination to succeed without recourse to foul means.

Pupils and students of the olden days were prepared to burn the midnight candle and sweat it out with their studies to achieve success in their examinations. Even where cheating was established, it never went beyond brisk glances and fleeting exchanges of points at the examination hall which must not be noticed by the invigilator or teacher on duty.

Schools owned by religious bodies never tolerated cheating in any form. Their strict code of moral values frowned at dishonest behaviors and sanctioned anyone involved in such fraudulent acts. Against that background, examination malpractices were usually seen as evil, anti-social, ant-religious that brought indignity and dishonor to the family.

It was better to fail honestly than being caught cheating in order to pass examinations. Past generations of students were cautious, upright, hardworking, and fearful of cheating in examinations. However, there were few ones who might want to spy on the answers of more brilliant classmates in order to fill up gaps in their answer sheets. It only involved glancing at the other person’s work. 

Corrupt society breeds exam cheats

Times have changed significantly so much that everyone is now in a hurry, desiring success without working for it; want to pass examinations in top grades without reading. Just as most people cheat to reach the top, indulge in corrupt acts, the youths now search for questionable means of passing examinations without working or reading as expected.

What we now see in the educational system is the raging tide of this misdemeanor of cheating in examinations which has caused serious concerns to public examination bodies, secondary schools, tertiary institutions, and well-meaning people from all works of life.

Several workshops, seminars, conferences and meetings have been organized to examine and proffer workable strategies to confront this problem. Examination malpractice is cancerous. In spite of many strategies put in place to combat the evil, rather than reduce it has continued to aggravate. For primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, examination malpractices have not only become widely and deeply rooted in the system, the methods are ingenious, sometimes highly sophisticated defying detection. 

For internal examinations in secondary schools, whether in mid-term or promotion exams into the next class, incidences of malpractice are common. A student in one of the state government schools said, “Before we go into the examination hall, the invigilator will instruct us to drop our books and bags outside, but some smart ones will still manage to bring in some items hidden in secret parts of their body like pieces of paper containing answers, or even notebooks which they will copy likely answers from when the invigilator is not close by.”

Slap on the wrist for cheats

Asked what transpires if such students are caught, she replied: “It depends on the teacher or invigilator. If he/she is a lenient person the material will be seized, the culprit warned and allowed to continue with the examination. In some situations, the erring student may be sent out to face official punishment. In several cases, there is nothing much the teacher, principal, or headmaster of the school could do since it is often regarded an internal affair and the culprit could be left off the hook.”

Because there are no severe sanctions available to check incidences of cheating during internal examinations in schools, such misdemeanors are also exhibited at public examinations conducted by West African Examination Council (WAEC), National Examination Council (NECO), and/or Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB). 

Aiding, abetting cheats

It is more inexplicable when it concerns public external examinations like the ones already mentioned. School authorities often aid and abet malpractices to enable their institutions excel. Administrators of public and private secondary schools sometimes offer bribes and gratifications to WAEC officials so as to allow students indulge in exam malpractices.  Some JAMB officials are also bought over by administrators at examination centers to connive at cheating.

Students utilize various strategies to cheat during examinations which include but not limited to the following:

(a) Use of ‘micro-chip’; writing very tiny summaries on pieces of paper, parts of the body, or on materials found within the venue. 

(b) Sorting’; in which students negotiate with corrupt lecturers for scores by rewarding’ the lecturers in cash or kind 

(c) ECOMOG/ECOWAS/OAU’; which is an alliance among classmates, to communicate via coded language. 

(d) Hand-held smart devices such as cell phones. 

The West African Examination Council in her over sixty years of existence has been able to detect various forms of malpractice perpetrated by candidates and their accomplices in its examinations. They include: 

(a) Bringing foreign materials into the examination, 

(b) Irregular activities inside or outside examination hall, 

(c) Collusion, 

(d) Impersonation,

(e) Fore-knowledge of examination questions, 

(f)Leakage of question papers traceable to the printing press or other persons associated with the custody of the papers, 

(g) Mass cheating and 

(h) Insult/ Assault on supervisors/ invigilators /inspectors by candidates. 

It is clear from the various forms of examination malpractice that it is not limited to the time and place of examination. In fact malpractices occur either before, during or after examination. One important example of pre-examination malpractice is in the process of registering candidates for examinations. One of the commonest forms is the registration of non-school candidates for school examination by principals in spite of very clear instructions against this practice. 

What they do is to register candidates who are not in SS3 (the final years), often referred to as private candidates. Many of such candidates who are from the urban areas, prefer to register in less urban centers (aka miracle centers) where monitoring is not likely to be strict. These candidates do not have any record of continuous assessment which is a compulsory requirement for Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE). The principals falsify continuous assessment results for the candidates depending on how much money the candidates can afford.

Another aspect of pre-examination malpractice is that some principals inflate the continuous assessment of their regular candidates which is likely to increase the number of passes in the school. They do this to present fantastic information about the school as one of the best schools in order to be in good book of the Ministry of Education. 

The introduction of the Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) in the country revolutionized examination malpractice in the school system. The emergence of these technological devices has provided the candidates new methods of cheating during examination. A lot of academic information is now stored in these electronic devices for direct use in examination halls or for onward transfer via Short Message Service (SMS) to other students anywhere in the country. This way, a candidate can smuggle out a question paper especially the objective test to the mercenary outside the examination hall who could send correct options to candidates inside. This could be done without attracting much attention. 

Post examination malpractices include such activities occurring after examination. For example, candidates tracing their paper to marking centers. In other cases a candidate could trace his paper, for e.g. from Benin to Sokoto, and another from Anambra to Maiduguri. Some examiners also could trace the candidate if they know how influential the parent of such a candidate is. 

In extreme cases, some candidates especially girls enclose money and photographs describing how they could be traced in case their papers happen to be handled by men considered to be moral perverts. In higher institutions, post examination malpractice could take the form of lobbying the examiners for marks by begging and sending close friends and senior colleagues to the examiner to be lenient while marking, while on the other hand some lecturers go to the extent of changing marks for reasons best known to them. 

Causes of Examination Malpractice

The root causes of examination malpractice in Nigeria include the following: 

1. Nigeria has a deplorable value system, therefore immoral acts such as cheating, dishonesty including embezzlement and stealing of public funds and properties do not attract the condemnation and punishment they deserve. 

2. The emphasis on paper qualification or certificate is another cause of examination malpractice. Nigeria’s educational system places so much value and emphasis on certificate instead of knowledge, skills and competence. The effects of this cankerworm can be seen in many school leavers who cannot defend their certificates. This is why examination malpractices are increasing day after day for the rush to get paper qualification for jobs without the right skills to perform. The emphasis on certificates over skills and competence is so pronounced, prompting remarks by concerned citizens that students perceived education only as a means of getting a meal ticket and getting a job. They argued that such perception or orientation must change so that students would appreciate the intrinsic value of education, which is the total development of the individual to be able to make meaningful contribution to the society. 

3. Another major cause of examination malpractice is inadequate teaching and learning facilities such as classrooms, libraries, laboratories and even teachers compared to the population of students. These inadequate resources affect effective teaching and learning. 

4. Other students’ vices such as cultism, drug abuse, sexual promiscuity and truancy are also encouraging examination malpractice on our campuses as students devote more time to them than their studies. 

5. Moral upbringing of some of the youths by parents has been very poor. In most cases parents pay mercenaries to write exams for their children. There are reports parents sometimes influence WAEC, NECO to even relocate their children to new schools considered to be less strict in search of miracles during exams. 

6. Lack of confidence as a result of inadequate preparation. These days, students no longer work hard and dedicated to their academic endeavors. No matter what, a student who is not well prepared would cheat in examination hall in order to pass. 

7. Students nowadays are characterized by quick emphasis on success and wealth without a corresponding emphasis on legitimate means and avenues to be used positively in achieving such success. 

8. Others include; 

(a) Low moral standard in schools (b) peer/ societal influence, 

(c) Incessant strikes, (d) admission of unqualified candidates

We agree that ordinarily many students possess intellectual capabilities and potential to do very well in examinations without indulging in malpractice. However, because of the availability and easy access to already prepared answers to questions and other short-cut methods, they no longer bother to study adequately for exams. 

Based on research findings, the main attraction to examination malpractice is the fear of failure. This is due to ill-preparedness of students, poor study habit, indiscipline, and lack of a sense of purpose and vision for the future.

Other analysts have identified total loss of societal values and orientation, economic gains, inordinate ambition to get rich quick with little or no effort, poverty, and excessive premium on certificates and the act of tying promotion of teachers to the success of candidates in examination.

Findings by another education expert Ahmed Sanni, who studied extensively examination malpractices in schools, indicated that 69 percent of the variance in examination malpractice is determined by such school factors as examination facilities, school performance, class population, and school location.

There are several schools that lack conducive environment for learning. Overcrowding, too many pupils or students to few teachers (such as a ratio of one hundred students to one teacher), ill-equipped libraries and laboratories, and poorly paid teaching staff not motivated to put in their best thereby leaving students to their fate. Hence during the time to sit for final examinations and because of their inadequacies, lapses and shortcomings, the only option left will be how to cheat. They are determined to excel by all means through any method believing that after spending six years in secondary school, there should be something to show for their effort through the years. No excuse is tenable for failure. This posture by most students illustrates their desperation to pass examination at any cost. 

“Many public schools don’t have the wherewithal to produce excellent students capable of passing examination in top grades”, declared the proprietor of a private school. He pointed out: “From JSS1 to SSS3 they keep promoting the students until  when it is time to write WAEC  or NECO without considering performance or whether the syllabus of subjects  to be taken have been covered.”  He added: “Nobody wants to fail after going through six years of schooling, so can you imagine the feelings of students, especially in a society like Nigeria which glorifies certificates?”

Parents Funding Cheating

Parents have also been identified as contributory factors to examination malpractice. According to an education consultant Dr. Joshua Bassey, a University lecturer, some parents encourage malpractice by giving their children money to either purchase readymade answers to exam question papers or bribe invigilators during examinations.

He says, “I know of instances in which parents give large sums of money to their children to purchase WAEC question papers believed to have been leaked by officials. In most cases, this so-called “live” question papers turn out to be fake. There are people who specialize in peddling fake WAEC question papers when exam period approaches, demanding money from unscrupulous students.”

Examination centers can determine the complexity and frequency of mass cheating. The factors involved while looking into the culpability of centers in malpractices are: 

• Location of school (serving as center) whether urban, rural, or riverine.
• Type
• Ownership
• Distance to WAEC zonal or branch office.
• Distance to custodian center
• Availability of commercial vehicle 
• Nature of road
• Availability of a fence round the center
• Location and adequacy of hall
• Total entry (i.e. number of candidates\).

A research study by WAEC shows, among others, that 40.4 percent of the centers for May/June examinations are located in urban areas, 46.8 percent in rural areas and 12.8 percent in riverine areas. 

For November/ December examinations, 90 percent of the centers are located in urban areas with only 10 percent in rural areas.

Secondly, government-owned schools accounted for 83.3 percent of the centers involved in mass cheating in November/December while it was 97.9 percent in May/June examination. This means that private schools accounted for only 16.7 percent and 2.1 percent respectively.

Furthermore, it would take at least two hours from zonal or branch office to get to 87 percent of the centers in May/June examination, while it will take about one hour for WAEC officials in charge of the various custodian centers to get to 53.3 percent of the centers within their jurisdiction.

In the case with November/December examinations, 83.3 percent of the centers could be reached within one hour from the zonal/branch offices, and 93.3 percent from custodian points.

With respect to the nature of roads and availability of vehicles; whereas only 24.4 percent of the centers could be reached with cars/lorries in May/June examination centers, 73.3 percent of the centers for November/December examination were quite accessible by motor cycles, while it was only 26.7 percent for November/December examinations.

Also examination halls were partly available in 57.8 percent and 56.7 percent of the centers for May/June and November/December respectively. The halls were, however, not adequate in about 77 percent of the centers for both examinations. The summary of the findings showed that:

• More centers were involved in mass cheating in May/June and in November/December examinations for the three years investigated.
• 63.3 percent of the centers identified for mass cheating in November/December examination were centers located in primary schools.
• The distance of examination centers to custodian centers, (i.e. from where a WAEC official moves to inspect centers) was found to be significantly related to the intensity of mass cheating in both examinations.
• Susceptibility for the principal/head teacher to examination malpractice also related significantly to the number of candidates involved in mass cheating in November/December examination.
• The state with high incident of mass cheating in May/June examinations had their centers located in interior parts or in riverine areas where accessibility was difficult.

About 57 percent of the centers observed did not have examination halls for both examinations. In addition, about 77 percent of those available were inadequate for the numbers of candidates registered. 

Negative Effects of Examination Malpractice 

1. a) Examination malpractice has severe consequences on individuals, institutions of learning, communities and the country as a whole. Dismissal, termination, loss of position and self- confidence have brought much embarrassment and suffering to individuals, families and communities. The guilt-ridden ones who were not caught and punished cannot defend their certificates not to talk of such people performing their duties effectively. 

1. b) Examination malpractices lead to irreversible loss of credibility. A country that is ranked high in examination malpractices loses international credibility. The implication is that certificates/documents emanating from the country’s educational system will be treated with suspicion and doubt. Since certificates are becoming valueless in Nigeria, our educational institutions are almost dead as far as international cooperation in education is concerned. 

1. c) As long as examination malpractices continue, Nigeria will end up producing doctors who will forget scissors and towel in the stomach of patients after surgical operation. This vice will continue to produce students with distinctions in our examinations, without quality knowledge in any definite course or subject. In addition, we will continue to have teachers who cannot impart knowledge to the students, as well as produce lawyers who cannot differentiate between an accused person and the complainant. 

1. d) Furthermore, production and indiscriminate sales of fake drugs by pharmacists and massive fraud in commercial banks are linked to examination malpractices.

Without doubt, the persistent occurrence of examination malpractice in Nigeria has spawned heinous problems such as:

1. Lack of credibility of academic certificates acquired in Nigeria by the international community.
2. Declining standard of education in the country.  Unless we are able to stop examination malpractice, the standard of education in Nigeria will continue to fall.
3. The problem of turning out into the society half-baked, if not unbaked, graduates who are virtually good for nothing and functional illiterates.
4. Inability to secure competitive and challenging jobs which require practical test of proficiency and skills.
5. The existing correlation between examination malpractice and corruption in public offices. Students who steal their ways to higher offices through examination malpractice would not find it difficult to engage in corrupt practices when they are employed.
6. Finally, examination malpractice has economic implications. According to EEP (2019) report, Nigeria loses billions of naira annually to examination malpractice. Thus examination malpractice could classified as an economic crime.

Curbing Examination Malpractice Scourge

According to the findings, certain strategies are imperative in curbing this ugly phenomenon. These are:

1. Developing the capability for effective supervision and inspection of centers by WAEC and NECO officials during conduct of examinations.
2. Arranging orientation programs for Principals/Head teachers for schools and supervisors on the need for transparency and honesty. It has been found that mass cheating do not take place without connivance of school authorities and supervisors.
3. Enhanced transportation for inspectors and supervisors to enable them reach centers located in either hamlets or in riverine areas.
4. It was found that conducting public examinations in centers located in hamlets, villages and riverine areas usually caused delay in commencing examination against the officially stipulated time. Obviously, examination held at odd hours gave room for various forms of malpractices.
5. Examination officials should not be saddled with too many centers more than they can cope with.
6. More staff should be deployed for inspections as their presence could have a direct effect on candidates who intend to cheat.
7. Blacklisting of centers and principals or head teachers found to be involved in mass cheating after every examination.
8. A merger of candidates from rural and riverine areas for easy accessibility in a central place.
9. Ensure that the heads of schools to be used for November/December exams are of unblemished integrity.
10. More stringent conditions should be required for approving schools for WAEC and NECO examinations.
11. Security personnel (Police and SSS) could be drafted to centers during examinations.

Investigation of cases of malpractices should be a continuous exercise and the findings circulated to zonal or branch offices of examination bodies. Schools implicated can be warned or dealt with appropriately.

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