Marceline, Mustapha & Muhammad
Thesearchforameasureofstudents’achievementhasledtotheadoptionofexaminationamongothermeasures.Exami- nation,therefore,istheseriesofquestionsaskedinordertodeterminewhetherornotthestudentshavemasteredwhatthey aresupposedtoknoworacquire.Although,students’performanceinexaminationsmaynotbethetruereflectionoftheirability, however,itistheclosestindicatoroftheextentofthestudents’achievementinagivenskill.Hence,examinationbecomesatool wecanadoptindeterminingthelevelofstudents’ability.Wecanthereforeuseexaminationstocategorizestudentsintohighand lowability.Thosewithhighabilityaregivenpreferenceabovethosewithlowability.Ofcourse,thosewithlowabilitywouldwant thesamepreferentialtreatmentandinthebidtodemonstratehighability,theygointoallkindsofvices.Oneofsuchvicesis examinationmalpractice.Oneeducationalproblemthathasbeenofmoreconcernandwhichhasgeneratedveryseriousdiscus- sionamongcontemporaryNigeriansistheissueofexaminationmalpracticesormisbehaviors.Itconstitutesoneofthegreatest problemsconfrontingtheschoolsystemanditisassumingdangerousproportionsinoursociety.
Thereisapublicoutcryanddeepconcernbyeducators,parents,governmentfunctionariesandemployersoflaborover the consistent reports of examination malpractices in our secondary schools particularly in West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE) /National Examination Council (NECO) /National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB) conductedexaminations,intheUnifiedTertiaryMatriculationExamination(UTME)foradmissionintoourCollegesofEducation/ TechnologyandUniversitiesconductedbyJointAdmissionsandMatriculationBoard(JAMB)aswellasinternallyandexternally conductedexaminations.Ezekwesililamentsthatthepervasivecultureofexaminationmalpracticeimpedestherealizationof characterandlearningineducationwhichisthefoundationforcreatingandsustaininggoodsociety;nurturingthemindand abilitytocompeteglobally.Examinationmalpracticeisacankerwormthathaseatendeepintothefabricofacademicdevelopment inNigeriaanditcutsacrossalllevelsofeducationinthecountry.Adaramolaarguedthattheproblemhaseatendeeplyintothe fabricsofoureducationalsystemandtheassessmentofcurriculumobjectivesisloadedwithbias.Hefurtheropinedthatthings havedegeneratedtothelevelthatthevalidityandauthencityofcertificatesawardedinNigerianinstitutionsmaybequestionable to the outside world.
ExaminationmalpracticeisnotarecentphenomenonorsomethingpeculiartoNigeriaorAfricaalonebutitisaglobalissue .Examinationmalpracticeshavebeeninexistenceforverylongtime.Although,thereseemsnottobeaconsensusagreement onthefirstincidenceofexaminationmalpracticeinpublicexaminationbecausewhileOkoyeobservedthatitoccurredinearly 1948,Famiwoleclaimeditoccurredin1945.Examinationmisbehavioursormalpracticehasbeendefinedvariouslybyexperts withmoreorlessthesamemeaning.Eperokunpositedthatexaminationmalpracticesinvolvevariousmethodsemployedby candidatestocheatbeforeorduringexamination.Olumeroviewedexaminationmalpracticeasanyexaminationnotconducted inaccordancewithspecifiednormssetupbytheexamininginstitutionorbody. OluyebaandDaramolaalsoassertedthat examinationmalpracticesisanirregularbehaviourexhibitedbyacandidateoranybodychargedwiththeconductofexamination before,duringoraftertheexaminationwhichcontravenestherulesandregulationsgoverningtheconductofsuchexamination. Olayinkadefinesexaminationmalpracticeasamisconductorimproperpracticeinanyexaminationwithaviewtoobtaininggood resultsthroughsuchafraudulentaction.Ongomalsodescribedexaminationmalpracticeasawrongdoinginanexamination whichinvolvesmisconduct,irregularityasasituationwhichiscontrarytotheestablishedrulesanddirectivestobefollowedin ordertoaffectfairconductofexamination.Hefurtheropinedthatmisconductisanimproperbehaviourbycandidateswithinor aroundtheexaminationhallanddishonestyasanunfairpracticedevisedwithintentiontocheatinexaminations.
Similarly,WorldBankEducationWebsitedefineexaminationmalpracticeasadeliberateactofwrongdoingcontraryto the official examination rules and is aimed at placing a candidate at an unfair advantage or disadvantage .Fatai also describedexaminationmalpracticesaswrongdoingsinanexamination,whichinvolvemisconductandirregularitycontraryto theestablishedrulesanddirectivesorregulationsguidingthefairconductofbothinternalandexternalexaminations.Itisa deliberateactofwrongdoing,contrarytoofficialrules,andisdesignedtoplaceacandidateatunfairadvantageordisadvantage. It is a careless, illegal or unacceptable behavior by a candidate in a formal test of his knowledge or ability and integrity of anexamination.ExaminationmalpracticeasusedbyNwahunanyaistheactofomissionorcommissionintendedtomake astudentpassexaminationwithoutrelyingabsolutelyonhis/herindependentabilityorresources.Nwana,whilediscussing aberrationsontheNigerianeducationalsystemstatedthatexaminationmalpracticeasthemassiveandunprecedentedabuse ofrulesandregulationspertainingtointernalandpublicexaminations,beginningfromthesettingofsuchexaminationsthrough thetakingoftheexaminations,theirmarkingandgrading,tothereleaseoftheresultsandtheissuanceofcertificates.Odongbo saysthatexaminationmalpracticereferstoanactofwrongdoingcarriedoutbyacandidateorgroupsofcandidatesoranyother personwiththeintentiontocheat&gainunfairadvantageinanexamination.Awanbor,opinesthatexaminationmalpractice istheapplicationofunusualmeanstoobtainascoreorsetofscoresthatisnormallybeyondthementalcapabilityorthestate ofpreparednessofacandidateforthatexamination.Viewingexaminationmalpracticefrombothlegalandmoralperspectives, Salamidefinedexaminationmalpracticeasanimproperanddishonestactassociatedwithexaminationwithaviewtoobtaining anunmeritedadvantagewhileAdaramolaseestheissueinanoperationaltermas“anysituationthatoffersanexamineeundue advantageoverothersinanexamination”.
CONCLUSION
Examination malpractice is a contagious and cancerous virus that has spread throughout the nooks and crannies of the society and has eaten deeply into the fabrics of the entire nation. All stakeholders- government, school authorities, parents, guardians, students/pupils, and the public have all contributed in one form or the other to the menace and malaise. Nothing short of a holistic approach - cleansing the society and the whole educational system will solve the problem. The task requires urgent attention in order to redeem our totally tarnished or battered image locally, nationally and internationally. If our country will emerge as a first class world power and breakthrough technologically, all examination leakages and other dishonest practices must be done away with because no nation can rise above or beyond her education level.
The respondents affirm that there is prevalence of examination malpractices before, during and after examination in our educational institutions. However, it can be concluded that there is no significant difference in the mean perception between male and female students as well as between ND and HND students of the existence of examination malpractice in the polytechnics.
Share this article