The Federal Government has warned parents, teachers, school proprietors, principals, invigilators and students against examination malpractice, as it moves to strengthen the integrity of public examinations.
The Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Education, Ikharo Attah, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, quoting the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, as saying the measures were part of President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to restore standards and reposition the education sector.
Alausa gave the warning during a meeting with the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools and other education stakeholders.
He said examination malpractice had become deeply entrenched, creating an unfair advantage for students who prepare honestly for examinations.
According to him, the practice distorts results, disadvantages hardworking students and undermines confidence in qualifications awarded by the nation’s education system.
The minister stressed that tackling malpractice required collective responsibility, urging parents, teachers, proprietors, principals and invigilators to uphold examination rules, provide conducive learning environments and discourage candidates from gaining unfair access to examination materials.
He said the Federal Government was strengthening examination administration to make public examinations more secure and ensure that results reflect genuine learning and merit.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad, urged private school proprietors and other stakeholders to support the reforms, noting that tighter examination controls could initially expose gaps in students’ actual preparation.
Ahmad said some students who performed exceptionally well in internal examinations might have become accustomed to accessing leaked questions, leaving them less prepared when such avenues were blocked.
She said the introduction of serialised examination questions would make reliance on leaked materials more difficult and encourage genuine preparation.
The minister also urged schools to complete their curricula on schedule and promote consistent study, assuring private education stakeholders that the ministry would continue to engage and support them during the implementation of the reforms.