As menacing as that endemic tendency may possibly appear, urgent methods must be followed for the cankerworm not to ruin the nation’s potential absolutely before long: it’s too important to be neglected. And, this is certainly, still another cogent purpose Nigeria wants moral renaissance and value regeneration in most areas of their national life.
How can one identify what an examination malpractice is? In accordance with Nwana (2000), examination malpractice is explained as the “significant and unprecedented punishment of rules and regulations related to central and public examinations, beginning from the placing of such examinations through the taking of the examinations, their noticing and grading, to the release of the outcome and the issuance of certificates.”
In the same vein, an academic has tried yet another information with this unbridled sensation as “the act of omission or commission supposed to create a scholar go examination without depending absolutely on his/her separate capacity or resources.” Certain research findings, results, instructive and knowledgeable submissions of educationalists, academics, and other top stakeholders in that particular sector of the nation’s economy, but, have indicated that there have been one type of examination malpractice or one other before since in the first 1970s when “bulk cheating was perpetrated in waec runs” (West African-american Examinations Council).
Probably, that realisation jolted the examination human body at the extra college level to examine significantly, various manifestations and level of this retrogressive inclination. It allegedly, categorised the various forms of examination malpractice as including taking in foreign resources to examination halls, unpredictable activities inside and external examination halls, collusion, impersonation, loss, mass cheating and insult/assault on supervisors all through exams.
Other forms of examination malpractices determined by WAEC include aid of individuals by invigilators to solution or have clue to hard ideas, while some invigilators also head to the extent of answering some areas of the problem for candidates, besides other kinds as “giraffing, contraband, topic, tremendous print, escort, missiles, and pregnant biros.”
Nonetheless, what’s occurred to the emergency of the country’s training program from the period until this day? Unfortunately, in the extended 21st Century, examination malpractices of various kinds, types and manifestations, incontrovertibly, have worsened and develop into a national problem. The unbecoming inclination voraciously, continues to eat heavy in to the cultural fabric, from main schools to tertiary institutions of understanding across the Nigerian Federation. It is no surprise then, that the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), of recent, passionately asked the National Construction to declare a situation of disaster in the training sector so as to consciously revamp the lost fame of the after thriving industry.
While many stakeholders in the market however, feel that the commonplace malaise the education industry is not merely perpetrated by the students alone, but also with the effective connivance of different stakeholders, including teachers, safety brokers, examination invigilators, printers, supervisors, and the like, exam malpractices have similarly been described by some in the know of the pervasiveness of the depressing trend as “perennial and institutionalised multibillion Naira business”, on which some depraved people, communities and institutions give fat in the country at the time of now.
But then, a important problem any honest-minded Nigerians ought to question themselves at this point is: How did Nigeria get to this decadent state in its education business? In the same way some major stakeholders and authorities severally, have indicated heartfelt problems concerning the regular injury constant examination malpractices are inflicting on the state, a number of factors have already been sophisticated with this ugly development.
Among other factors adduced for the astronomical increase in exam malpractices in recent years are that in certain cases, “issues aren’t related to the syllabus”, and subsequently, examination malpractices are encouraged. It is also, been alleged that topic syllabuses are overloaded and problematic for examination individuals, so that they often times find it difficult to cope. But, are these tenable excuses for doubtful prospects and their depraved collaborators to take part in exam irregularities? It’s just indefensible for prospects to resort to exam irregularities. It’s believed that with established, conscious attempts at succeeding in any useful endeavour, including examinations, “where there is a can, there’s a way.”