In a bid to uphold integrity and credibility in the education sector, the West African Examination Council (WAEC) has arrested 20 school officials across Nigeria who have allegedly been aiding and abetting examination malpractice during the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination. This announcement was made by Mr Patrick Areghan, Head, National Office of the council, who stated that the arrestees have since been handed over to the police.
An Unsettling Trend: The Cases and Arrests
The arrested school officials were nabbed in different parts of the country, all implicated in exam-related fraud. Areghan, revealing details of the malpractices, stated that in Ibadan, Oyo, a supervisor, a principal, and an invigilator were apprehended for disseminating examination questions to various online platforms. Similar offenses led to the arrests of officials in Maiduguri, Umuahia, Abeokuta, and Osogbo. Notably, a school proprietor was caught in Abeokuta, making him the first to be arrested at the onset of the exams on May 8.
WAEC’s Stand: Zero Tolerance for Malpractice
Areghan condemned the actions of the offenders, describing them as a “monumental disgrace” that threatens the nation’s educational standards. He reiterated the council’s commitment to uphold the integrity of the examinations and made it clear that such illicit actions will be met with stern consequences.
Challenging Misconceptions: No Leaks, Just Fraud
Countering the general belief that examination questions leak, Areghan clarified that the supposed ‘leaks’ are acts of malpractice perpetrated by supervisors who disseminate exam questions shortly before the examination commences. He urged candidates not to compromise their futures by engaging in illegal means to pass examinations and reaffirmed that WAEC examinations could never be accessed illegally.
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The Way Forward: Pursuing Academic Excellence
Mr. Areghan concluded by stressing the importance of hard work, urging schools to stick to academic excellence to sustain quality education. He expressed satisfaction with the overall conduct of the ongoing examinations but reiterated the council’s readiness to apprehend any person who tries to compromise the system.
Schools visited for monitoring included ST and T in Ikeja, Ikeja Senior High School, and State Senior High School among others. The fight against examination malpractice continues.
