Dr Amos Dangut is the new Head of the National Office of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Nigeria, which he joined 25 years ago. He speaks to TUNBOSUN OGUNDARE about his experience on the job and plans to improve the examination body, among other issues. Excerpts:
Take us through your background in WAEC?
I was employed about 25 years ago. I started as an Assistant Registrar 2Subject Officer in the Test Development Division in Lagos. That was between 1998 and 2005. From there, I moved to our Uyo branch office as a Senior Assistant RegistrarHead of Examinations Security and Deputy to the controller of the branch. Thereafter, I was taken to our Bauchi Office in 2008 and still as a Senior Assistant Registrar and Deputy to the branch controller. I was there for three years before I was transferred to our Yola Branch as a Senior Assistant RegistrarBranch Controller where I spent just two years. Then, I was promoted to Deputy RegistrarController, Post-Examinations Department and thereafter, I was transferred to Ikeja Zone, as a Deputy RegistrarZonal Coordinator. I later became Deputy RegistrarHNO’s Office, the position I held until my current appointment as the new Head of the National Office about three months ago.
How would you describe the kind of WAEC you met when you joined the service?
WAEC has always been a big institution, even long before I joined. I met a system that was completely unknown to the cyber world; most of our activities were done manually. The use of computer was not common in the system, let alone anything called digital. However, we moved to a period when members of staff began to have access to the computer and then we were introduced fully to the ICT. We have come a long way within the last 25 years; our operations are now in conformity with the global best practices. WAEC is now a model to other examining bodies not only in Africa but other continents.
Even at that, we are not yet there digital-wise, particularly in the conduct of our examinations. We want all our exams to be computer-based. We will experiment that with our private candidates in February.
What about the school-based candidates?
We don’t know yet. Like I said we are starting with the private candidates at our first series exam. That means they will attempt the objective papers with the computer while the theory and science practical will still be done with pen and paper but much later, we will go digital with all our exams.
Computer-Based Exams (CBE) are usually associated with technical hitches in this part of the world, how prepared is WAEC?
Though, there is no perfect system anywhere globally, we are not new in conducting computer-based exams. We have been conducting our internal activities on the computer for quite some time now. We will continue to improve on our CBE because it’s the way to go in this 21st century and we cannot afford to lag behind. Personally, I love innovations. I love to explore new and better ways of doing things for better results. So, I’m confidence that a greater future awaits WAEC even before I leave the office.
The level of examination malpractices in your exams, just like in others is still very high despite the various strategies being deployed against it, how do you intend to tackle this recurring challenge?
Examination malpractice is a global problem; it is not peculiar to Nigeria. Various strategies have been deployed to prevent exam malpractice and yet, it continues. The issue is that as we are coming up with one strategy, the candidates are also come up with another to counter it. They smuggle into the exam halls prohibited items such as handsets and calculators that have been programmed with materials. Another strategy they use is to patronise rogue website operators, but the truth is that we have always outsmarted them. Those who might have escaped being caught in the exam halls are usually caught during marking; we know how to detect them. Similarly, we’re working with the security agents to provide adequate security for our people and whoever is caught cheating at the end of the day is handed to them for prosecution.
We have also started advocating that schools should install CCTV in and around their exam halls. One of the state governments has already keyed into the idea. Our plan is to get to a point where technology will alert us when fraudulent activities are going on in and around our exam venues. We will continue to come up with new techniques to nip the malpractice in the bud or at least, reduce it to the barest minimum. We call on school administrators, teachers, exam invigilators, parents, government at all levels and other stakeholders including newsmen to join hands with WAEC and other examining bodies to fight malpractice.
If you are to rate Nigeria’s educational system with other four member countries of WAEC, is your assessment?
To compare what goes on in a particular system with that of others and do so correctly will require some parameters. For instance, curricular differ from country to another and each country also has its peculiar areas that can guarantee quality of students they produce. I must say that the quality of school certificate holders that we churn out in Nigeria is commendable. People who passed through our system excel in their chosen fields and other lawful engagements anywhere they find themselves in the world. They simply do well and compete favourably with their peers globally. I am not saying those in other climes are not doing well. It is when you engage them that you will see the stuff they are made of.
As the new HNO, what are you planning to do differently as regards your workers, organisation and ad-hoc staff such as invigilators and supervisors of your exams?
We can only improve on what we have been doing before. WAEC is an institution that gives priority to the welfare of its workers, ditto with our ad-hoc staff. We can only look forward to advancement on what we are doing. Nobody will want to continue to be on the same spot on a yearly basis. The economy keeps changing and it calls for us to keep changing for the better too for our people to cope.. You will recall that just about last year, the organisation increased the fees for the examiners, supervisors. Unfortunately, the current inflation has affected and messed up the increment we did last year. We know that for us to attract the best human power in this regard, vis a vis the current state of the economy we need to augment our pay pack. As we priotise these things, I believe WAEC under my watch will move to a greater height.
Some people believe that the fantastic WASSCE results being flaunted around by some private schools are not true reflection of their performances, but products of examination malpractice. How will you react to this?
Those are just mere insinuations and I am usually surprised when I hear people say such. Talking about good performance of a particular school, be it public or private means that real teaching and learning have taken place. So, whatever can be found in private schools is also there in the public schools. What I know is that a school building is just a mere structure which may not determine the kind or level of effort that is put into teaching and learning that can culminate in beautiful academic success. Basically, when a school is well structured and has competent manpower, basic infrastructure, and adequate learning tools as well as located in a conducive environment and the students are committed and exposed to good supervision, such schools will definitely produce good results. You can’t expect anything less than students coming out in flying colours in their exams, be it within and outside.
Again, viewing it from another perspective, private schools are more proactive in their approach than the public schools. For instance, adequate provisions are made for teachers as regards teaching and learning in private schools, whereas, in government schools, taking decisions over the same issue or implementing the decisions may take several weeks or months. These are part of what is delaying our plan of conducting a CBE. Most of the public schools, especially in the rural areas, have no internet connectivity let alone facilities. Meanwhile, the private ones have good facilities and competent workforce.
What about the observation that many schools especially privately-owned use the Continuous Assessment(CA) marks to favour their students unduly, the reason for higher percentage of candidates in your school-based exam obtaining higher marks than before the introduction of the policy, what is your take on this?
I don’t think this position is correct. That is why I will plead with journalists to help the council to expose schools that are manipulating their continuous assessments. We will be glad to be able to identify them for proper sanctioning. Insinuation by some set of people won’t do anything. Our system is transparent, in the sense that, the results of candidates are uploaded into the system as soon as they are out. We must get to a level in this country where we trust ourselves and our system.
You always have delayed payment issue with some state governments which registered their students on credit; would you want to continue with that narrative?
Well, I know it isn’t an error to offer service to someone on credit, but it becomes an issue when the debtor refuses to honour payment agreement. Then, you have the option of not offering such service on credit again. However, I can boldly tell you that we are enjoying good relationship with the various state governments; many of them pay up even before we round off our exams. So, with that kind of mutual respect and fulfilment of obligations ongoing, WAEC will continue to give credit for its exam.
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
