ABSTRACT
This research project is aimed at making a modest
contribution to the eradication of examination malpractice in our various
institution of learning especially
secondary schools in Ikwo Local Government Area. The project will try to find out the causes of
examination malpractice in the schools and its adverse effect on the
educational system. It will also try to proffer solution to the problem
caused by this ugly trend.
The background of
the study
The
genesis of examination malpractice in Nigeria can be traced to 1914 when the
senior Cambridge examination leaked.
There
was leakage in the west African Examination Council in 1963, Omotos (1988). The
historical background or the origin of examination in Ikwo Local Government
Area in particular and Nigeria in general cannot be unaccompanied with
indiscipline and the corruptive nature of the society today. Oxford advance
learner’s Dictionary (1999:711) defined malpractice as unacceptable behaviour
by somebody in professional or official position. The Michael west English
Dictionary defined malpractice as wrong doing. The act of malpractice start
from home’ most families today do not inculate in their children the right
attitudes and these bad conducts are carried out to the society.
There
is also the biblical reference of wrong doing where Jacob wrongly look away his
brother’s birth right (Gen.27:1-29) the existence of malpractice is as old as
the world and has eaten deep into the jabric of our lives, including political,
economical and educational aspect. Politically, there is electoral and
educational aspect politically, there is electoral malpractice, which includes
rigging of election and gerrymandering that is favouring one party at the
expenses of others in the delimitation of the constituencies, Okpata F.O and
etal (200).
Economically,
Nigeria losses more than fifty (N50)
million naira every month are as salaries to non-existence workers. Public
funds are now routinely doled out to political alliecs and personal friends in
the disquide of contacts to execute public work of our kind or another. Chima
Achebe (1983)
Educationally,
according to Thyen (1974:33) the purpose of examination are among others:
a.
To ascertain
whether a specified standard has been reached.
b.
To select a given
number of candidates
c.
To test the
efficiency of teaching and learning
d.
To evaluate each
candidates subsequent performance
e.
To predict each
candidates subsequent performance
IN
education context, examination are ways of testing systematically to determine
the extent to which students achieve intuitional objectives. It becomes clear
that when one’s knowledge or ability is tested any act of wrongdoing shall be a
negation of the aims and objectives for which the examination were set up. In
1970 there were regulates and malpractice in west African school certificates
examination. The 1981 leakage were however, the most wades pared, the worst in
the history, of West African Examination Council (WAEC) Nigeria Omotoso etal
(1998).
There
are different types of examination malpractice which includes the followings:
1.
Mass
cheating/co-operation: This involves: the students or learners, teachers,
invigilators and the principals.
2.
Impersonation:
This is the method of paying someone else to write the exam or by contract.
3.
Bribe: This is
giving money, sex, gift to encourage cheating.
4.
Foreign material:
This is bringing of answer aids into the exam hall. It is commonly called Expo,
Bullet, Mgbo, chips Omokirikiri etc.
5.
Leakage: This
system of getting the question before the exam
6.
Clearance fee:
This is a levy imposed all the student by the school to settle the invigilator
so as to allow malpractice in the whole school.
7.
Special Centress:
These are private expensive places where one can get certificates without any
effort
8.
Threats and
assoutl: This is special way cults guys students and everyone.
9.
Sign and codes:
These are secrete operation use to pass answers to the students.
10.Mass promotion: promotion every students by up grading
them because of money or favour.
11.Sales of handout: This is carried out in higher
institution by lecturers at exorbitants price and threatens students to buy or
jail.
The following people are involved in
examination malpractices. They includes: principals, invigilators, Teachers,
Parents, Typist, friends, clergyment and women and even the government.
The consequences of examination are:
1.
It results to
indiscipline and laziness.
2.
It creates wasted
life, fustration and agony
3.
it brings shame
disgrace to one’s family and the country.
4.
It brings fake
and forgery of identity
5.
Reduces the
standard and value of a country.
6.
It produces a
lawless and disordered society.
In this researcher, my focus is mainly on external
examination in some selected secondary school in Ikwo Local Government Area of
Ebonyi State.
In fact, what happen is some, if not most of our
secondary schools whenever external examination is going on, your guess is as
good as mine. This gives me sleepless night because our society eventually must
be at receiving ends, since those students are the leaders of tomorrow.
I strongly believed that there is no need for a
prophet to predict that eschewing examination malpractice is the only condition
to restore the lost glories in our educational sector. Another reason also is
to find out the solution to the problem of examination malpractice in our
secondary school in Ikwo in particular and the society in general.
STATEMENT OF
RESEARCH PROBLEM
The problems created by examination malpractice have
eaten deep into the fabric of our lives.
A trip down the memory lane of the eradication of
examination malpractice in secondary schools in Ikwo Local Government Area is
no novel concept. Right from the first secondary established in 1976 which is
Ikwo High school Agusia there have been rivary and hospility culminating in
examination malpractice which led to the production of half baked teachers and
people parading with certificates which they cannot defend.
In our country today, there are architects, surveyors,
accountants, doctors, engineers, bankers who cannot differentiate their left
from right. Examination malpractice is the reason why the quality of private
and public sector, policy-making machinery is very poor. Our yesterday is gone
forever, our today in mired in Crisis. Tomorrow belongs to us. It is our duty
to light against and retrieve our tomorrow from the grip of those who are bent
on destroying it.
OBJECTIVES (AIM
or PURPOSE) OF THE STUDY.
The
main purpose of this research is to make a modest contribution to the
eradication of examination malpractice with special reference to some selected
secondary schools in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. The study will
also discover the basic cause of examination malpractice in varies from one
school to another or there generally the same cause all over the Local
Government Area. The researcher will review the functions of parents, teachers
students examination board which include staff under them who have involved
themselves in one-way or the other and suggest how to eradicate such ugly
situation.
Further more, the purpose of the
research is to inculcate the habits of reading among the students and also find
out the last solution to examination malpractice on the side of students while
one the other hand to stamp out get-rich quick syndrome which lures the minds
of the examination authorities to materialism.
SIGNIFICANCE OF
THE STUDY
The
significance of this research cannot be over emphasized; this is because
examination malpractice has more harm than good in our secondary school system
and the society at large. For it has helped in the production of half baked
students, teachers and people parading with certificate they cannot defend.
The
importance of this research is to find out a lasting solution to the problem of
examination malpractice in our secondary school here in Ikwo. The findings of
this research will help in no small measure to reduce the rate at which
examination malpractice triggers fears on the educational system in Ikwo Local
Government in years to come.
The
research will also help other students who would prefer to carry out their
research in the study particularly here in Ikwo.
Conclusively,
examination malpractice should be stopped in order to produce qualitative
students in our educational system, which will make it rich the zenith of
academic excellent.
RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS/QUESTIONS
The
following question will form the bedrock of the study.
1.
Can the teacher’s
laxity in any way increase the rate of examination malpractice among students?
2.
Is it trued that
lack of libraries in our schools contribute to examination malpractice in
secondary schools in Ikwo Local Government Area?
3.
will hand-over of
secondary schools to the church help to stop examination malpractice in Ikwo
Local Government Area.
4.
Is it true
assessment that female gender participates more in examination malpractice than
the male counterpart
The
following question will form the bedrock of the study.
1.
Can the teacher’s
laxity in any way increase the rate of examination malpractice among students?
2.
Is it true that
lack of libraries in our schools contribute to examination malpractice in
secondary schools in Ikwo Local Government Area.
3.
Will hand-over of
secondary schools to the church help to stop examination malpractice in Ikwo
Local Government Area?
4.
Is it true
assessment that female gender participates more in examination malpractice than
the male counterpart?
THE SCOPE AND
LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
This
study shall look into the ways of eradication of examination malpractice in
secondary school, Agubia, Ndiagu Echara community secondary school Eka-Awoke
community secondary school, community secondary school; Noyo Alike, Girsl High
school Ikwo and Urban secondary school, Ndufu Echara.
The
scope would have been extended to other secondary school, than these but
because of some course of my research such as transport, data collection,
unreliasility of some interviewers, financial constrains including crowed
programme of the studies in the campus.
Also,
due to the limitation of financial constitutions, materials and time resource,
the sample may be very small in relation to the entire population.
ERADICATION
The
Oxford Advanced learner’s Dictionary of current English new edition by A.S
Hornby (1999) defines eradication as to destroy something completely, to put an
end to something.
EXAMINATION:
The oxford Advanced learner’s Dictionary of current English new edition by A.S
Horn by (1999) defines examination as a formal test of somebody’s knowledge or
ability especially by means of written questions or practical exercises. In
educational context, examinations are ways of testing systematical to determine
the extent to which the student achieve instructional objectives.
Then
oxford Advanced learner’s Dictionary of current English new edition by A.S Horn
by (1999) defines malpractice as wrongdoing, neglect of duty e.g. dishonest
help of a position of trust for personal gain.
EXAMINATION
MALPRACTICE
From
the West Africa Examination Council point view, examination malpractice can be
defined as any irregular behaviour exhibited by candidate or anybody charged
with the conduct of examination in such examination such behaviour must be a
sort of contravention of the rules and regulations governing the conduct of
such examination.
However,
in common usage especially in contemporary Nigeria, examination malpractice
refers to infringement of the prscribe code of conduct and behaviour first by
the candidat and then by the teachers, invigilators, parents and markers as
well.