[dropcap]N[/dropcap]igeria Examinations Committee (NEC) of the West AfricanExaminations Council (WAEC) has approved sanctions in all cases of examination malpractices during its 66th Meeting in Lagos revealed that henceforth, candidates who flout the rules and regulations guiding the conduct of the council’s examinations will bear the consequences..
According to a press statement signed by Demianus Ojijeogu, Head of Public Affairs, WAEC, “The results of candidates involved in proven cases which attract Cancellation of Entire Results will be cancelled; while subject results of those involved in proven cases, which attract Cancellation of Subject Results will be similarly cancelled.”
The NEC also revealed that it will start sanctioning some candidates by banning them from sitting for the council’s examinations for a specific number of years. Schools involved in proven cases of exam malpractices will also be derecognised for a certain number of years. Examination supervisors found wanting will be reported to their employers and blacklisted, while invigilators involved in exam malpractices will face disciplinary measures.
NEC went on to advise WAEC, All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools and States Ministry of Education to publish names of those involved in examination malpractices to serve as a deterrent to others. See the detail Press statement:
THE WEST AFRICAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL PRESS RELEASE ON THE 66TH NEC MEETING
The 66th Meeting of the Nigeria Examinations Committee (NEC) of the West AfricanExaminations Council (WAEC), was held from Tuesday, 2nd to Thursday, 4th October, 2018 atExcellence Hotel & Conference Centre, Ogba – Lagos.
The Committee, which is the highest decision-making organ of WAEC on examination-relatedmatters in Nigeria, meets twice a year, to consider matters relating to the conduct of the WestAfrican Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School Candidates and PrivateCandidates. Its statutory Chairman is the Chief Federal Government Nominee on Council.Membership of the Committee comprises four representatives each, of the State Ministries ofEducation and the Department of Education of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja,ANCOPSS and the Universities. It also includes the Registrar to Council, the Head of theNigeria National Office, the Head of the Test Development Division (TDD) and the Head of theTest Administration Division (TAD) of the Council.During the 66th Meeting, the Committee received reports on Irregularity, Special and ClemencyCases arising from the conduct of the WASSCE for Private Candidates, 2017 and the WASSCEfor Private Candidates, 2018-First Series, earlier considered at the 65th Meeting of theCommittee. The Committee also considered a report on the conduct of the WASSCE for SchoolCandidates, 2018, as well as Irregularity Cases arising from the conduct of the examination. In the course of considering the various reported cases of malpractice, the Committee, afterdiligent deliberations, approved appropriate sanctions in all established cases of malpractice, asprescribed by the Rules and Regulations governing the conduct of the Council’s examinations. Itapproved that the entire results of candidates involved in proven cases, which attractCancellation of Entire Results (CER) be cancelled, while subject results of those involved inproven cases, which attract Cancellation of Subject Results (CSR), be similarly cancelled. Inaddition, some candidates will also suffer other sanctions such as barring them from sitting forthe Council’s examinations for a certain number of years, some schools will be derecognised fora specified number of years, some supervisors that were found wanting in the discharge of theirexamination duties will be formally reported to their employers and blacklisted while someinvigilators will be reported to the appropriate authorities for disciplinary action. The decisionsof the Committee will be implemented without delay and the affected candidates and schoolsduly informed by the Council. However, the results of candidates who were exonerated by theCommittee will be released.
2 Furthermore, the Committee considered Special Cases, Clemency Appeals from the WASSCEfor School Candidates, 2018 and Restitution Cases as well as Impounded Certificates for variousyears. The Committee also received a report on the Statistics of Entries and Results for theWASSCE for Private Candidates, 2017 and 2018-First Series. In addition, it received andconsidered the General Résumé of the Chief Examiners’ Reports on the WASSCE for PrivateCandidates, 2018-First Series and the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2018. It also receivedand considered reports on the Activities of the Aptitude Tests Department (ATD), for the periodMarch to September, 2018 and on the Activities of the Research Department of the Council forthe period March to September, 2018. With regard to the General Résumé of the Chief Examiners’ Reports on the WASSCE for SchoolCandidates, 2018, the Committee noted the observation by the Chief Examiners that the standardof the papers compared favourably with those of previous years and that the questions werewithin the scope of the syllabuses as well as the ability of the candidates. They also reported thatthe rubrics were clearly stated and the marking schemes were comprehensive.The Committee noted the strengths and weaknesses of the candidates as reported by the ChiefExaminers and the suggested remedies for the weaknesses. The Committee observed that even with the commendable efforts of the Council in the fightagainst examination malpractice, the menace is still on the increase and called on all stakeholdersto intensify their efforts in the fight against examination malpractice.The Committee decried the high rate of impersonation as a form of examination malpractice inSchool Candidates examinations, called on school principals to check the ugly trend and urgedthe States Ministry of Education to look at the calibre and integrity of teachers nominated asSupervisors for public examinations.On the issue of punishment for schools, candidates, invigilators and supervisors caught aidingand abetting examination malpractice, the Committee advised that WAEC, ANCOPSS and theStates Ministry of Education should publish the names of those involved to serve as a deterrentfor others.Finally, the Committee commended the Council for ensuring that examination cheats do not getaway with their nefarious activities by deploying cutting-edge technology and putting in placeseveral mechanisms to detect and forestall examination malpractice.
Issued by the Public Affairs Department
Signed:
Demianus G. Ojijeogu, anipr –
Head, Public Affairs WAEC, Yaba, Lagos
10th October, 2018