The Federal Government has announced a stringent new
measure to combat the rising menace of examination malpractice in Nigeria’s
education sector. Any student caught cheating in public examinations such as
those conducted by WAEC, NECO, or NABTEB will now face a minimum three-year ban
from taking any external examination in the country.
This directive was issued by the Minister of
Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, who emphasized the use of the National
Identification Number (NIN) system to enforce the ban across all examination
bodies.
Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the Public Communication Advisor
of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), disclosed this in a
statement titled “Ministerial Directive Regarding the Menace of ‘Miracle
Centres’ in the Education Sector at Secondary School Level.”
According to the directive, any school or
Computer-Based Test (CBT) centre found to be involved in examination
malpractice—popularly known as miracle centres—will be derecognised by all
examination bodies for a period to be determined by the sanctioning body. The
move is aimed at creating a uniform punishment system to deter institutional
malpractice.
“In accordance with Sections 5(1)(c)(lv) and 6 of the
JAMB Act, the Hon. Minister of Education has directed that such centres, once
blacklisted by one examination body, should automatically be derecognised by
others,” the statement read.
It further stated that the punishment for candidates
involved in malpractice is supported by Section 16(2) of the Examination
Malpractices Act of 1999, which allows examination bodies to circulate names of
offending individuals and institutions for cross-sanctioning.
Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Education
reaffirmed its zero-tolerance stance on examination malpractice. In a separate
statement, the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs. Folasade
Boriowo, expressed deep concern over the persistent erosion of academic
integrity, warning that it threatens Nigeria’s human capital development.
“In alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda of
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Ministry is committed to eradicating all forms
of examination malpractice,” Boriowo said.
She announced that the Ministry, in collaboration with
the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and other agencies,
would actively pursue the prosecution of all offenders using the full weight of
the law.
Calling on parents, teachers, students, and
stakeholders to join the effort, Boriowo urged Nigerians to report any
suspected cases of malpractice, emphasizing the government’s commitment to
preserving merit and credibility in the nation’s education system.
“This is a national call to action. The integrity of
our examinations must not be compromised,” she concluded.
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