The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has called for collaborative efforts of stakeholders in the education sector to curb examination malpractice in the state.
The union Chairman in Oyo State, Mr Raji Oladimeji, said that the delisting of 50 schools in the state for examination malpractice was not a good one.
Oladimeji said that it affected, not only schools in the state, but across the federation.
According to him, 25 public schools and 25 private schools made up of 50 schools, were delisted by the West African Examination Council (WAEC), urging the body to block leakages from its own end.
Oladimeji said malpractice had been on for so long, adding that what each school caught does was just to pay N500,000 levied on it for the offence.
“But, what the state government is saying now is that enough is enough; if you allow yourself to be used in your school, then you should be able to source for the payment of that N500, 000 fine,” he said.
The NUT chairman said other factors that contributed to the spate of malpractice in the state was that some parents encouraged their wards and children in the act.
“Above all, the Chief Examiner, which is WAEC, cannot be exonerated from the problem and why blaming our teachers, parents and other. There is need to ensure that there are no leakages from its end,” he said.
Oladimeji said that the offenders of malpractice in 2021 were punished and those involved in 2022 would also be punished.
Also, Dr Muyiwa Bamgbose, an Educationist and Chief Executive Officer, Educational Advancement Centre, said the sanction was long over due, adding that it was needed to curb the spate of malpractice in the state.
Bamgbose said the cheating rate had been so alarming and affected the quality of students, who put in for advance studies or sat for post UTME.
“If they can keep this up, it would be good; so, let everybody sit up because students are now preparing to cheat, they are no longer studying, it is a very bad situation,” he said.
Meanwhile, the state government said that it would sanction Principals of the recently delisted schools by the West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC) and parents of students involved in the examination malpractices.
The state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Abiodun Abdu-Raheem, in a statement said that the state government would sanction both the principals and parents found wanting because of its zero tolerance for examination malpractice.
Abdu-Raheem also warned principals to desist from encouraging examination malpractice now was becoming endemic in both the private and public schools in the state.
“It should be noted that the Oyo State Government has zero tolerance for examination malpractices.
“Therefore, principals and teachers of both private and public schools and parents were earlier warned to desist from any act of collaboration on examination malpractices as sanctions would be meted to concerned staff and parents,” he said.
Abdu-Raheem said that only WAEC has the authority to release a list of schools that were identified to be involved in examination malpractices and de-recognise such schools accordingly.(NAN)
