WAEC To Sanction 51,876 Candidates For Exam Malpractices

The West African Examination Council (WAEC) on Thursday announced that it had withheld the results of 51,876 candidates for the November/December 2010 WASSCE in Nigeria for examination malpractices.

A communiqué, issued at the end of the 51st meeting of the Nigeria Examinations Committee (NEC), held from April 5 to April 7, in Lagos, stated that the committee approved appropriate sanctions for the candidates.

Mr. Adeniyi Falade, NEC Acting Chairman, who read the communiqué in Lagos, said the sanctions were in accordance with the rules and regulations governing the conduct of the examinations.

“At our just concluded meeting, the committee considered malpractice cases involving 51,876 candidates who sat for the November/December 2010 WASSCE in Nigeria alone and whose results were withheld based on reports of their alleged involvement in examination malpractice.” Falade said.

He said the committee endorsed the cancellation of entire results of candidates involved in cases, which attracted such penalty, as well as the cancellation of subject results of candidates involved in cases which attracted only the cancellation of subject results.

Falade said that some of the affected candidates were barred from sitting for the Council’s examinations for a number of years while some teachers were reported to the appropriate authorities for sanctions.

He added that the various decisions of the committee would be implemented without delay and that the affected candidates would be duly informed by the national office.

The WAEC boss called on community leaders to stop promoting examination malpractices by visiting examination centres under the guise of monitoring examinations.

He also called on the Ministries of Education to exercise their authority as supervisors of the education sector and by clamping down on any public or private school that perpetrated or condoned examination malpractice.

Among candidates’ weaknesses identified in the chief examiners reports were shallow knowledge of subject matter and inadequate coverage of syllabuses, Falade said.

Meanwhile the Registrar of WAEC, Mrs F. Bello, announced that the Council had concluded arrangements to move the examinations that collided with the April 26 governorship and state houses of assembly elections.

“WAEC has held consultations with the Federal Ministry of Education and we are making arrangement to moving it to another date that would suit Nigerian candidates who are to sit for both Agric Science and Metal Works practical.

“As soon as we are through with the arrangement it shall be announced by the Council,” Bello said.