73rd NEC meeting: WAEC goes tough on exam malpractice culprits
The Nigeria Examinations Committee (NEC) of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has ordered the entire results of candidates proven to have been involved in malpractice cases that attract the penalty of Cancellation of Entire Results (CER) to be cancelled.
Some candidates will also suffer other sanctions such as being barred from sitting the Council’s examinations for two years.
According to a detailed statement signed and made available to education writers on Sunday by Moyosola Adeyegbe – Ag. Head, Public Affairs of the Council in Nigeria, the decisions were ratified at the 73rd meeting of the Nigeria Examinations Committee (NEC) of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) held on Thursday, 7th and Friday, 8th April, 2022 at Excellence Hotel, Ogba in Lagos.
At the 73rd Meeting, the Committee received reports on Irregularity, Special Cases and Appeals for Clemency arising from the conduct of WASSCE for School Candidates, 2021 which had earlier been considered at the 72nd Meeting of the Committee.
The Committee also received and considered reports on the conduct of WASSCE for Private Candidates, 2021- Second Series and report on the conduct of WASSCE for Private Candidates, 2022 – First Series as well as Irregularity Cases arising from the conduct of the examination.
The Committee, after diligent deliberations, approved appropriate sanctions in all established cases of malpractice, as prescribed by the Rules and Regulations governing the conduct of the Council’s examinations.
The Committee approved that centres involved in mass cheating be derecognised. Some Supervisors that were found wanting in the discharge of their examination duties will be formally reported to their employers and blacklisted while some Invigilators will also be reported to the appropriate authorities for disciplinary action.
The statement adds that the resolutions of the Committee will be implemented without delay and the affected candidates and examination centres duly informed by the Council. However, the results of candidates who were exonerated by the Committee will be released without further delay.
In furtherance of this, the Committee considered Special Cases, Appeals for Clemency, Impounded and Restitution Cases from WASSCE for Private Candidates, 2021-Second Series and WASSCE for Private Candidate, 2022- First Series.
The Committee also received a report on the Statistics of Entries and Results for WASSCE for School Candidates, 2021.
In addition, it received and considered the General Résumé of the Chief Examiners’ Reports on WASSCE for Private Candidates, 2021- Second Series. It equally received and considered reports on the Activities of the Aptitude Tests Department (ATD), for the period January 2022 to March 2022 and on the Activities of the Research Department of the Council for the period December 2021 to March 2022.
“With regard to the General Résumé of the Chief Examiners Report on WASSCE for Private Candidates, 2021 – Second Series, the Committee noted the observation by the Chief Examiners that the standard of the papers compared favourably with those of previous years.
“The clarity and unambiguity of the questions were worthy of note as they were within the scope of the syllabuses. They also stated that the rubrics were clear, the questions explicit and the marking schemes comprehensive. The Committee noted the various weaknesses of the candidates as reported by the Chief Examiners.
“The Committee commended the Council for the thorough investigations it conducted on the reported malpractice cases presented during the meeting. It equally applauded the ministries of education in some states that sanctioned erring invigilators and supervisors reported to have been involved or aided examination malpractice of any kind.
“The Committee, applauded the laudable achievements recorded by the Aptitude Test Department from January to March, 2022.
“It also observed that there was a decline in the enrolment of candidates with Special Needs for the Council’s examinations. Therefore, the Committee, charged the Council to research and proffer solutions to this challenge and to continue to make provisions to cater for such candidates.
“In conclusion, the Committee frowned at the actions of some state governments and stakeholders questioning the sanctions meted on erring candidates, schools and persons involved in examination malpractice. Thereafter, the Committee resolved as follows:
“Every attempt to intimidate and harass the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in the course of executing its mandate is condemnable and stands condemned;
WAEC should be allowed to continue with the job of providing quality assessments to the Nigerian child without any hindrance;
WAEC should continue to sanction examination malpractice, no matter whose ox is gored;
“All states, schools and individuals should continue to respect and obey the impartial decisions of the Nigeria Examinations Committee (NEC) for the benefit of education in Nigeria;
“Cases of harassment of WAEC state officials by agents of state governments should be reported to the Honourable Minister of Education”.
