Conventionally, examinations are considered as a method of evaluation of pupils who have been through one amount of education or another by the end of a expression, term or academic year. Nevertheless, among other troubling developments which the is encountering in the united states today, the likelihood of examination malpractices in the Nigerian educational process is really a primary one that is rapidly accepting an amount of national and international distress and dangerous dimension. It is just a damaging crisis, which if not relieved shortly, might destroy the nation’s all-important education sector.
Examination malpractices are often called wrongdoings before, throughout or after examinations. And, without mincing phrases, they’re having telling, negative results on the nation’s quality of education , just as numerous college leavers and graduates cannot protect their certificates. As menacing as that endemic tendency may seem, urgent actions have to be adopted for the cankerworm to not destroy the nation’s potential absolutely before extended: it’s too important to be neglected. And, this is actually, still another cogent purpose Nigeria needs ethical renaissance and price regeneration in all aspects of its national life.
How does one describe what an examination malpractice is? Based on Nwana (2000), examination malpractice is defined whilst the “significant and unprecedented punishment of principles and regulations related to internal and public examinations, beginning from the placing of such examinations through the taking of the examinations, their observing and grading, to the discharge of the outcome and the issuance of certificates.”
In a similar vein, an academic has tried still another description of this unbridled phenomenon as “the behave of omission or commission supposed to create a scholar move examination without counting absolutely on his/her separate power or resources.”
Certain study studies, ideas, instructive and educated submissions of educationalists, academics, and other prime stakeholders in this unique industry of the nation’s economy, however, have suggested that there had been one type of examination malpractice or another before because in the first 1970s when “bulk cheating was perpetrated in WAEC” (West African-american Examinations Council).
Probably, that realisation jolted the examination human body at the extra college level to examine critically, various manifestations and level of this retrogressive inclination. It reportedly, categorised the different jamb runz malpractice as including providing in foreign materials to exam halls, unusual actions inside and external examination halls, collusion, impersonation, loss, mass cheating and insult/assault on supervisors during exams.
Other kinds of examination malpractices determined by WAEC include assistance of individuals by invigilators to solution or have hint to hard ideas, while some invigilators also go to the extent of answering some areas of the issue for prospects, regardless of other forms as “giraffing, contraband, round, tremendous print, escort, missiles, and pregnant biros.”
Nevertheless, what has occurred to the success of the country’s education system from the period till this very day? Unfortuitously, in the extended 21st Century, examination malpractices of various types, forms and manifestations, incontrovertibly, have worsened and turn into a national problem. The unbecoming inclination voraciously, continues to consume deep in to the cultural fabric, from the comfort of principal schools to tertiary institutions of learning across the Nigerian Federation. It is no wonder then, that the Nigerian Union of Educators (NUT), of new, passionately asked the National Assembly to declare circumstances of emergency in the education field so as to consciously revamp the missing honor of the once thriving industry.
While many stakeholders in the industry yet, feel that the prevalent malaise the education sector is not just perpetrated by the pupils alone, but in addition with the productive connivance of other stakeholders, including educators, protection brokers, examination invigilators, models, supervisors, and such, examination malpractices have similarly been defined by some in the know of the pervasiveness of the disheartening development as “perennial and institutionalised multibillion Naira organization”, which some depraved individuals, groups and institutions feed fat in the country by now.
But, a pertinent problem any honest-minded Nigerians need to question themselves at this moment is: How did Nigeria get to the decadent state in their education industry? Just like some major stakeholders and authorities severally, have expressed honest concerns concerning the regular injury continual examination malpractices are causing on the state, several facets have already been sophisticated for this ugly development.