The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has called for strict computer-based testing to curb examination malpractice in some centres, popularly known as “miracle centres.”
Mr Timothy Manga, an official with the WAEC office in Makurdi, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the growing concerns over examination malpractice and its impact on the credibility of public examinations and educational certificates.
Manga said allegations of the existence of “miracle” examination centres in Benue had become worrisome, though there had been no official confirmation of such centres in the state.
He described the development as a threat to the education system, saying schools should be known for quality teaching rather than their ability to facilitate examination malpractice.
“Any system that rewards students for cheating undermines those who have worked hard to prepare for examinations.
“We need an examination system where success is determined by knowledge, preparation, and competence, not by the ability to access assistance during examinations.
” Though WAEC has not gotten any information on any school being a “miracle centre”, we would continue to put our ears to the ground in case we hear of any that we can set an example with,” he said.
Mrs Rebecca Ezekiel, a teacher with NKST Secondary School Makurd, however, said the establishment of independent examination centres could reduce the influence of schools and teachers over examinations such as WAEC and the National Examination Council (NECO).
Ezekiel said the CBT would enable examination bodies to exercise greater control over examination venues, personnel, and security arrangements.
“Candidates should be examined under conditions that are independent of the schools where they receive instructions,” she said.
The teacher also recommended the deployment of biometric verification, Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras, and other technologies to strengthen examination monitoring.
However, Mr Jude Odeh, a school proprietor in Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA), said admitting students in final year in secondary schools did not qualify a school to be labelled as a “miracle” examination centre.
Odeh said he had heard allegations about the existence of such centres in the state but was yet to identify any specific school operating as a miracle examination centre.
He said some parents changed their children’s schools for various reasons such as the high cost of examination registration, school fees, and others.
According to him, some schools charge examination fees arbitrarily, and when combined with school fees, the total cost becomes too high for some parents to bear.
Odeh, however, said he knew some schools in Benue that did not admit new students into SS3, insisting that only students promoted from SS2 were registered for external examinations.
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