FOLLOWING a letter forwarded to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) on Thursday, December 8, informing it that 61 secondary schools in the state were grossly involved in examination malpractices during the 2022 May/June exams, the Commissioner incharge of the ministry has said that government will sanction principals of the schools involved.
The Commissioner, Wemi Jones, disclosed this in Kabba, yesterday, during the distribution of Chemistry and Physics textbooks to 95 senior secondary schools in Kogi West senatorial district, as part of the ministry’s School Adoption and Mentorship program.
As result of the development, WAEC has de-registered the 61 secondary schools inbolved in the gross examination malpractices.
According to the Commissioner, the examination body had made similar complaints in 2019, when 51 secondary schools were reportedly involved in examinationmalpractices.
He noted that things howevet began to improve in 2020 and 2021 when the number of schools deregistered by WAEC decreased from 51 to one as a result of a serious warning from the ministry to principals of schools.
Wemi expressed regret that notwithstanding the success recorded, WAEC would forwarded same complaint to the state over the same issue.
He said, “This I am not going to let go. We are going to sanction any principal found wanting in this unwholesome behaviour that is tarnishing the good image of the state.
“The ministry of education will set up a committee that will investigate the involvement of principals in this disgraceful act before we sanction appropriately to serve as a deterrent to others because the state government cannot be investing hugely in the education sector then somebody somewhere will be sabotaging our effort giving the state bad name.”
“We are aware that when WAEC charged registration fees of N23,000, principals charged over N40,000 for ‘logistics’ involved in indulging in examination malpractices.
“We are not unaware, and we will curb the situation by sanctioning whoever is found wanting in the act through the 2020 Kogi state educational law,” he added.
