The Minister of State for Education, Mr Goodluck Opiah, has said that tackling examination malpractice in the country required the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders.
Speaking in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state capital on Monday during a one-day sensitisation workshop on the theme; “Role of Education Stakeholders in Tackling Examination Malpractice in Nigeria” Opiah explained that the dangerous and negative effect of examination malpractice on the development of the country required all hands to be on deck in order to combat the menace.
He emphasized that such efforts required total re-orientation 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 even students must show a high level of commitment and honesty. Parents 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 policies 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,” Opiah said.
In a goodwill message, Governor Akwa Ibom state governor Udom Emmanuel observed that examination malpractice has become a social plague in Nigeria and has built a strong defence despite the fight against it.
Emmanuel, represented by the 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 governor said he has maintained zero tolerance for examination malpractice with adequate measures put in place to tackle this and has continued to spend at least one billion Naira annually to register students in public schools for internal and external examinations.
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He said his administration has increased the construction of laboratories and constructed perimeter fences, deployed security guards and retrained teachers to improve the quality of teaching and learning and reduce examination malpractice in the area.
In his welcome address, Registrar of NECO Prof Ibrahim Wushishi said the workshop is 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.”
“No doubt, examination malpractice has the tendency to discourage hard work among serious students, lowers education standards, discredit certificates, and lead to the production of quacks, thereby affecting the manpower needs of the nation.
“We must therefore take collective responsibility to rid them of this bad habit of wanting to cut corners,” Wushishi said.
Vice Chairman of the Senate committees on basic and secondary education Akon Enyakenyi in her goodwill message commended NECO for spearheading the fight against examination malpractice and pledged the legislative backing off the Senate to strategies and efforts aimed at curing the menace in the country.
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 but called on stakeholders to deemphasis paper qualification and focus more on practical and technical education as a country without this, “remain on the pathway to destruction”.
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