Exam Malpractice:How we can Stop It

"This rudderless ship called examination malpractice whose destination is self destruction poses a great threat to the survival and sustainability of good quality education. This hydra headed monster will facilitate the enthronement of a mediocre, half-baked, incompetent and corrupt workforce ranging from quack doctors and pharmacists, and will lead to massive fraud in banks, the collapse of buildings, and the miscarriage of justice"

Chinedu Ugwu, a final year student of Veterinary Medicine in the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

Examination malpractice has become so rampant in the society to the extent that before any examination body initiates a new idea to eradicate it, people already have their plans to get over it. Does it mean that examination malpractice is the only way/road to examination success? What do you think? How can it be stopped?

I must confess that I personally have suffered at the hands of examination malpractice and I know what it means to have cheated. You see, there is no smoke without fire. Examination malpractice stems from the dire desire to attain academical heights without much stress. Well, the people who engage in examination malpractice are not to blame to somewhat degree. We have been conditioned and feed with the lie of ‘If you can’t beat them, then join them’

We live in a society, where we are been led by leaders who lay down bad examples and as we know when the head is weak, it gradually affects other parts. It is the case with our country today. But at a second thought, we must face it. We must decide to follow and live by overt honesty in spite of the dishonesty that surround us. We must learn to live by the good principles that binds us as one true citizen and not bend them to our favour. The bottom line is that examination malpractice is not and will never be the way forward. Young people must learn to be sacrifice their comfort today for the benefits of tomorrow; we must learn to be deligent in every of our endeavours-our academics being included.

        

Furthermore, as regards curbing examination malpractice. Ha! It is a big challenge for me and as well as everyone here. But I believe that one factor that will play a major role in bringing examination malpractice to the bearest minimum is ‘Right education’. Every young Nigerian must be enlightened about the repercurssions of engaging in such mischevious act and its effects on the human and capital resources of the country. Education actually starts from the home, our parents play a vital role in ameliorating examination malpractices. Our parents should encourage their wards to be studious and also make them understand that only hardwork and God pays. Our parents should stop this attitude of resorting to connections, people and money when it comes to passing examinations or securing admission into the University.

       

But today, the obverse is the case. Parents are even the propagators of this evil act. Our parents should learn to encourage their wards to study more especially when they(children) have written many failed examinations and not resort to illegal means to find their ways out, out of mere frustration. Parents should help and meet their children’s emotional and phycological needs when they feel downcasted and like they are failures. They should teach them that patience, prayer and hardwork pays.

       

 Secondly, the examination body and the Government also have their role to play as well. Examination bodies should make sure they have penalty to impose on candidates who are caught in the act. They should not just have penalty but enforce them strictly without mercy. But doing so, others would learn and also tell those who are planing to indulge in such act to eshew from such intentions. Of course, when a cat sits on a hot stove, he will not dare sit on it again even when it is cold. But what do we see today? Candidates bargain with our so-called invigilators to cheat in the examination halls which is very pathetic!

         

Finally, examination bodies should make sure they recruit trustworthy, effective and honest hands to conduct the examination proper at different levels. It range from the security who will search the candidates before examinations starts to the people who will stay inside with the candidates while they write the examination. Candidates easily gain power to exploit and cheat in examination when the conducting body do not play their roles well. Student are cunning and clever and we also need people who are as clever as they are. Searching should be thorough and well confirmed. The examination bodies JAMB, WAEC, NECO, should be sanitized and employ officials of unquestionable character. Finger prints and photographs should be used as a part of security for the exam papers.Invigilators and supervisors should be stern and strict and should be able to make strong decisions and enforce penalty when the need arises.

My dear  fellow Nigerians, let us say NO to MALPRACTICE! It is not wise and will never help us build a healthy and formidable Nigeria. Let us teach our succeding generation that hardwork, prayer and perservance is the key to success in life.