Recently, the policeman of examination malpractices, Exam Ethics Marshals, briefed the press on the forthcoming first National Exam Ethics Students Summit, which was designed to empower students for best practices during and after examinations. KATE ONWUDINJO looks forward to the summit and the challenges in eradicating examination malpractices in Nigeria
Ike Onyechere, the founding chairman of Exam Ethics Marshals, at the briefing, disclosed that the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Youth and Student Affairs) is partnering with his team to organize the first National Exam Ethics students summit that will empower students for best practices during and after examinations, and to form a vanguard against sorting. According to him, sorting is the blatant selling of marks, grades and degrees to intimidate students for cash, sex and other material benefits by unscrupulous lecturers and agents.
The Summit is seen as coming against the background of persistent complaints by students and parents regarding intimidation, extortion and sexual abuse by unscrupulous lecturers who have turned examination, evaluation and assessment systems in educational institutions into commercial cash-and-carry enterprises.
Investigations by Blueprint, has further revealed that any student who refuses to pay, automatically fails; no matter the level of his or her performance.
Apart from the grave psychological, sociological and educational consequences of sorting and other examination malpractices, the economic cost also, to the students, parents and the nation is usually high.
According to Exam Ethics, a nationwide survey has indicated that not less than N50Billion is extorted from students in tertiary institutions each session with each students coughing out between N25, 000 and N50, 000 every session. The survey also indicated that at least 176,000 female students are sexually abused by male Lecturers each session.
The incessant outcry by students, parents and stakeholders, for organized protection against sorting in tertiary education, appears to have been heeded by the decision to hold the summit at the end of the month; with the massive support it had received from the Presidency and other relevant stakeholders.
The summit, which is scheduled to hold 23rd May, 2014 at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja will host over 1000 students and principal officers from 357 Universities, Polytechnics, Monotechnics and Colleges of Education. Students from each institution are expected to be led to the summit by their Deans of Student Affairs.
The fact that Nigeria’s education as presently obtained, is not producing the desired transformational change, as a result of corruption and examination malpractices, should be a call for concern. It is only a summit of this nature alongside concerted efforts, that have the potential to totally stamp out sorting and indeed every form of examination malpractices in our education. It will usher in a new era of best practices and strong moral infrastructure that will enable realization of benefits of education transformation initiatives of Governments, Institutions and other Stakeholders.
Not a few Nigerians look forward to the conference as it will certainly raised hopes that the country’s education system would rise again, as the desired quality, character, learning and values would be effectively restored if all stakeholders perform their duties in the best tradition of ethics, integrity and best practices.
Certainly the task of reinventing Nigeria’s ethics, during the conduct of examinations may be quiet herculean, except with the availability of the right marshals who as transformational change agents for education, are sincerely committed to strict code of ethical self- regulation and discipline in carrying out their duties and to the promotion of best practices in their various spheres of influence.
