The West African Examinations Council(WAEC) has insisted that private schools are the worst culprits among social agents aiding malpractice in its West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in the country.
The council said it had never claimed that public schools were not also guilty of examination malpractice but the fact remains that private schools are worse comparatively.
The Head of Public Affairs Department of WAEC Nigeria, Mrs Moyosola Adesina, made this clarification as a response to an earlier report by Tribune Online and credited to the National President of National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Yomi Otubela, that WAEC always accused private schools of aiding examination malpractice and make it appears as if public schools are not involving in the practice.
In the report, NAPPS boss said even though private schools had never and would never support or justify exam malpractice in any form, WAEC should not exempt public schools when it is making such accusations.
WAEC, however, in a statement exclusively obtained by Tribune Online, on Wednesday, said though it would not have bothered to engage private schools in argument over this matter and the others raised in the report, it is doing so to put the record straight particularly for the public.
According to WAEC, the council has never said that public schools are not involved in exam malpractice in the country.
“What we know is that there are some bad and good private schools, just as we have some good and bad public schools but comparatively, private schools are worse in exam malpractice in Nigeria.
“WAEC does not also shy away from exposing any guilty persons or institutions in our exams..
“So, for the avoidance of doubt, WAEC, in the past, has named and disgraced all perpetrators of examination malpractice during and after the conduct of its examinations, no matter their status or who they are. And both private and public schools have been named, among others as pepetrators of this dastardly act.
“However, the naked truth remains that the volume of examination malpractice cases is higher in private schools than in public schools.
“So, the reaction of the National President of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) in the fight against examination malpractice is quite unfortunate, and the collective justification for the actions of private school owners is laughable.
“While the onus of conducting credible examinations on candidates lies on the Council, WAEC is not solely responsible for administering the examination on candidates.
“It takes the collective efforts of critical stakeholders such as Candidates, Parents, Schools, Government and Ministries of Education to ensure that the examination is conducted without interference.
“So, as regards the inability of WAEC to conduct malpractice–free examinations, it is these individuals and schools that seek justification for the heinous act that make such a feat impossible; we advise them to turn over a new leaf.
“On the issue of non-adherence to registration deadlines, it is again unfortunate that the NAPPS Chief made those utterances.
The utterances is that WAEC has sole liberty to determine when it opens and should end registration of candidates for its exams and should therefore not blame a third party for undue prolonged registration.
WAEC on this said, “With regard to registration deadlines, WAEC adheres strictly to registration deadlines and NAPPS needs not to remind the organisation what exactly it needs to do.”
It has, however, pointed out it is only private schools that are guilty of non-adherence to candidates’ registration deadlines as public schools duly comply year- in, year-out on that.
It explained further that, “WAEC, on several occasions, comes under attack by some private schools (not public schools) who fail to do the needful at the right time, which is why some are not participating in the ongoing examination.
“Unfortunately, NAPPS is making this allegation when it is actually guilty of it by constantly asking for endless extension of the registration period.
“So, Proprietors, principals or examinations officials are warned that anyone culpable of aiding and abetting examination malpractice during this ongoing examination and those in the future would face the wrath of the law guiding the conduct of WAEC exams.
“We as an institution, WAEC will remain committed to our mandate of conducting credible examinations and awarding certificates comparable to that of reputable counterparts globally.”
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