Principal accuse parents, school proprietors of aiding exam malpractices

Evangel Anyahara, principal, Felicia and Barnabas Schools, Ngor Okpala, Imo State has attributed the perceived fallen standard of education in the country to exam malpractices and accused parents and private school proprietors of aiding the menace.

Anyahara, in an interview with BusinessDay, explained that parents now engage those she called “mercenaries” to write exams for their children and wards to ensure that they do better than their peers.

She also revealed that most school proprietors mandate their teachers to help students during external examinations so that their school would rank among the best in the country, so as to maintain their school population as well as attract new ones.

“Parents pay for their children to pass their exams rather than encourage them to study well and pass their exams on merit. They hire ‘mercenaries’ and register their children at ‘miracle centers’ and that is why most of them cannot defend their certificates.

“School proprietors don’t want the population of their schools to drop, so they mandate their teachers to help students during external examinations so that their school would rank among the best in the country.

“In fact, private schools are the most culprits here. They contributed to the fallen standard of education in the country,” she affirmed.

To correct the anomaly, she urged external examination bodies in the country, like the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO) to henceforth deploy security operatives to centres hosting external examinations in the country. They should also ensure that those found culpable are punished,” she advised.

GODFREY OFURUM Aba