Exam malpractice: WAEC cancels certificate issued 28yrs ago, 150 others

…As 29 ‘Born Again’ Christians return certificates

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has cancelled 151 certificates already issued to candidates that sat for both school and private examinations who were later found to have engaged in examination malpractices.

Also, the council has taken possession of 29 certificates (both school and private candidates exam) returned by acclaimed ‘born again’ Christians who sought for restitution.

The National Examinations Committee (NEC) of WAEC took the decision in Lagos, recently during its 62nd meeting held to cancel and collect back certificates of the candidates found wanting several years after the examinations were conducted and certificates issued.

Among the cancelled certificates, include two issued 28 years ago (1989) and 27 years ago (1990) by WAEC while the ones issued in 2012 and 2013 are the current certificates.

A breakdown of the cancelled certificates showed that the highest number 14, was issued in 2001 and 2002, 13 each in 1999 and 2000.

The statistics further revealed that WAEC cancelled 12 certificates in 2003, ten in 2006, eight in 1988, seven each in 2004, 2007 and 2010, five each in 1993, 1995, 2009, 2012 and 2013. Others are four in 1994 and 2008, three each in 1996 and 2011, two each in 1997 and 2005 as well as one each in 1989, 1990 and 1992.

Of the 151 certificates cancelled by the council, four were was for candidates who sat for May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and 147 for Nov/ Dec WASSCE confirming NEC reports that examination cheat is rampant during the private candidate examination.

Among the 29 certificates returned by born again Christians to WAEC offices nationwide, one was issued 33 years ago (1984) and another 32 years ago (1985).

Breakdown showed that four certificates each were returned by born again Christians who their own confessed cheating during the school and private examination in 2011 and 2013.

Others include three in 2000, 2004, 2008, two each in 1992 and 2003 while one each were returned by born again Christians in 1984, 1985, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2012.

In a related development, WAEC has threatened to henceforth de-recognise any school found aiding and abetting cheating during the conduct of May/June WASSCE. The decision to sanction schools found wanting during the conducting of the May/ June WASSCE was taken by NEC at its 62nd meeting in Lagos.

The communiqué issued at the end of the NEC meeting and signed by WAEC Head, Public Affairs, Mr. Demianus Ojijeoju, said the committee took the decision based on the high incidence of schools writing on the chalkboards for their students to copy during the 2016 WASSCE.

The NEC decided that ‘’if a school is warned for aiding and abetting cheating three times within a period of five years, it would be derecognised’’.

However, two schools were not lucky as the committee took a decision to withdraw there recognition for assaulting a Supervisor. Thus the implication is that there final students would write the WASSCE in another school.

The committee resolved that henceforth any school that allow candidates to be impersonated during the May/June WASSCE would be sanctioned even as it frowned at the situation where candidates forge the signature of supervisors on their answer scripts.

Other major decisions taken at the three- day meeting include the consideration of various reported cases of malpractice during the 2016 WASSCE and the committee approved sanctions in established cases of exam malpractice, as prescribed in the rules and regulations governing the conduct of the council’s examinations.

WAEC NEC approved that the entire results of candidates involved in proven cases be cancelled, while subject results of those involved in proven cases be similarly cancelled.

‘’Some candidates will also suffer other sanctions such as barring them from sitting for the council’s examinations for a certain number of years while some schools will be derecognised, their Principals reported to the Ministry of Education for disciplinary action while erring supervisors will be blacklisted.

‘’The decisions of the committee will be implemented without delay and the affected candidates and schools will be duly informed by the council. However, the results of candidates who were exonerated by the committee will be released’’.