Examination Malpractices

Examination is one of the ways through which students’ academic achievements are measured. It is a means of assessing students’ academic abilities with a view to taking decision on their progression on the academic ladder and determining their suitability for position of responsibilities (Ogundepo, Olatayo, and Akinteye 2009). A student would be adjudged to have achieved proficiency in certain skills after having passed examination set on courses on the skills or instructions to which he has been exposed. He will be issued a certificate stating his level of mastery of such subject(s). In Nigeria and most countries of the world, these certificates readily become meal ticket or a pass to move up academically.

In view of the great importance attached to certificates, candidates who are desperate to succeed in life may engage in unwholesome acts to pass examination by all means and at all costs. (see Aliyu and Adeloye 1991, Adeosun, 2007, Lamidi and Adedibu, 2005.) These unwholesome acts aimed at achieving unmerited grades in examinations are known as examination malpractices. The issue of examination malpractices has generated serious discussion and concern in the educational sector than any other issue in Nigeria today. This is because, besides the increasing incidence of the scourge and the means of cheating in examinations, the calibers of people involved are causes for concern.

It is not uncommon these days to find teachers, principals, staff of examination bodies, security agents and parents/ guardians involved in examination malpractices.(see Adeosun 2007,Alutu and Aluede 2006, Famiwole 1995, Fatai 2005, Jimoh 2009, Unachukwu and Onunkwo 1999.) The alarming rate and frequency of examination irregularities have become threats to quality control in our educational system so much that the certificates issued are almost worthless than the papers on which they are printed. It has become a pollutant which is having a weakening effect on the assessment of curriculum objectives (Ogundepo et al 2009, Lamidi and Adedibu 2005,Oluyeba and Daramola 1992). Examination malpractice can also be referred to as any irregular behavior exhibited by a candidate or anybody charged with the conduct of examination before, during or after the examination that contravenes the rules and regulations governing the conduct of such examination.

Though examination malpractice is neither a recent phenomenon nor peculiar to Nigeria or Africa, the alarming rate of increase in examination malpractice in secondary schools in Nigeria calls for concern from all stakeholders in the education sector. The incidences of examination malpractice has become so widespread that there is virtually no examination anywhere at all levels and outside the formal school system without any form of shoddy practice or the other. Examination malpractices are common everywhere and every examination season witnesses the emergence of new and ingenious ways of cheating. Examination malpractice Act no. 33 of 1999 stipulates a minimum punishment of fifty thousand Naira (N50,000.00) and a maximum of five years imprisonment, without option of fine, for violators of the offences stipulated in the Act.

The offences are: cheating at examination, stealing of question papers, impersonation, disturbances at examination, obstruction of supervision, forgery of result slip, breach of duty, conspiracy and aiding etc. Some of our students invent various subtle tricks in order to cheat during examination, but the question remains, who and who will eradicate examination malpractices among the students and their sponsors at large? We have many categories of internal and external examination that are being undertaken in this country but believe me examination malpractices occur in 80% of them.

In 2007 for example, a total of 324 schools that were identified to be involved in examination malpractices were blacklisted. The then Minister of Education, Dr. (Mrs) Oby Ezekwesili endorsed de-recognition of the schools as centres for examinations from 2007 to 2010. Public campaigns and enlightenment programmes embarked on by government and non-governmental agencies on the need to eliminate examination malpractices have not yielded the desired results, not even the introduction of jail terms for culprits. Whereas in the past, students tended to hide the acts, now they advertise them with reckless abandon. The incidence of examination malpractices in Nigeria has spread to virtually both urban and rural areas.

Some secondary schools are now tagged “miracle centres‟ where students indulge in various examination malpractices and came up with excellent result at the end of the day. In the past examination malpractice was regarded as a backlash of urbanisation and civilization. At that time examination problems were thought to be limited to the growing centres of Western civilization. Today however, every nook and cranny of the country has its taste of the disease. Appeals are being made to Obas, Obis and Emirs to help WAEC and NECO in its war against examination malpractices. It seems then that the problem of cheating in examinations is a national issue requiring unified attention. Perhaps faced with the growing incidence of examination malpractice the Nigerian Military Government in 1984 issued decree 20 specifying twenty one years of imprisonment for people tried and convicted for examination malpractices and related problems.

However, Examination Malpractice Act 33 of 1999 reversed the above decree but stipulates punishment ranging from a fine of N50, 000.00 to N100, 000.00 and imprisonment for a term of three to four years with or without option of fine. Even with the positive measures in place, it is doubtful if there had been a reduction in the incidence of examination problems in the country. Today, the problem continues to escalate in its various forms and in alarming proportions. In a typical examination day, students have gone to the extent of bringing prepared answers into examination halls. That is, after paying exorbitant fees to buy question papers from unscrupulous vendors and WAEC officials. It is alleged that having had opportunity of access to live questions, some candidates merely come in to submit their prepared answers.

This is said to be easy through the collusion of centre supervisors and examination invigilators. It is the case today, that even when a candidate is absent from a particular examination/subject, that is not an indication he would fail the examination. It may be the reverse, particularly when a more brilliant impostor had taken his place in the examination hall. His absence could result in a distinction grade in the subject: On examination days, questions are smuggled out to commissioned writers who stay in nearby classrooms or bushes to write answers direct from textbooks. Such prepared answers are smuggled back through a network of paid agents into the examination pack.

Perhaps, one needs to put the concept examination malpractices in proper perspective. Fagbemiye (1998) sees examination malpractices as attempts by the examinees or their agents or collaborators to influence the outcomes of examination unfairly. According to him such agents could be either people within the school system or outside the school system. They could be students, teachers, invigilators, parents and guardians. Adeosun (2007) defines examination malpractices as the employment of foul or illegitimate means to cheat before, during and after an examination. Corroborating this view, Oluyeba and Daramola (1992) (cited in Alutu and Aluede, 2006) remarked that examination malpractices is any irregular behavior exhibited by a candidate or anybody charged with the conduct of examinations before, during or after the examination that contravenes the rules and regulations governing the conduct of such examination.

To Onakoya and Alarape (2003), it is any deviant behavior that is seen as a violation and transgression of laid down rules and regulations by an authority during an examination. In a similar vein, Egbededia (2000) describes examination malpractices as illegal, unacceptable or unlawful behavior or activity that is perpetrated by a candidate to have personal advantage of excellence in an examination over his mates that are competing in the same examination. Further, Ogundepo, Olatayo and Akinteye (2009) view it as any act engaged in before or during examinations to gain an undue or unmerited reward.

They argue further that it is a fraudulent way of obtaining credit that one does not deserve. The Examination Malpractices Act (1999) definition seems to capture the concept more aptly. It explains examination malpractices as any act of omission or commission by a person who in anticipation of, before, during, or after any examination fraudulently secure any unfair advantages for himself or any other person in such a manner that contravenes the rules and regulations to the extent of undermining the validity, reliability, authenticity of the examination and ultimately the integrity of the certificate issued.

Examination malpractices come in various forms and by diverse names. These include expo, spying, giraffing, dubbing from books, impersonation and certificate racketeering (Adeosun 2007). He submits that cheating in examinations can be categorized into two broad divisions, namely; cheating activities limited to candidates and cheating activities involving other persons in and/or outside the examination hall. According to him under the first category are: preplanned teaming up of two or more candidates to communicate answer to each other or one another during examinations; taking unauthorized materials into the examination hall; spying on other candidates work with or without their permission; exchanging written information in the examination hall; use of GSM handsets, organizers, pager, etc. to store information for downloads in examination halls; writing information on parts of the body, furniture and wall of the examination hall.

The second category comprises of such activities as: examination leakages i.e. illegal release of examination; getting mercenaries to solve supposed difficult questions; employing other persons to sit in one’s stead for an examination while one continues with other activities outside the examination hall; inducing the examination official with money to overlook all irregularities in the examination hall; financial inducement to lecturers/teachers to obtain unmerited scores; allowing the examination to go on beyond the allocated time for the subject; awarding high marks for reasons other than merit.

The common saying that charity begins at home is a truism that applies to all spheres of the life of a child. The impacts of the homes and school on an individual’s life cannot be over emphasized. The two institutions, home and school, to a large extent, determine the future of a child. The home is the first and everlasting school of a child. Every indulgence given to a child and the way he is pampered have negative and positive effects on the child’s future. Alutu and Aluede, 2006 submitted that parents go to the extent of bribing their way through to ensure that their wards get unearned grades while teachers encourage examination malpractice because they lack the zeal to work but want to be praised for job not done .Some parents/guardians and other significant in the family also aid students to cheat during examinations. The parents become syndicates in perpetuating examination malpractice because they are the sole financiers of some of the malpractice activities.

They provide monies to their children/wards for payment to different persons and agents of examination malpractice. Often times, some parents go outright to negotiate with officials at examination centers to look the other way, and allow their wards to cheat in examination halls, or help in sending unauthorized materials to them. Some go directly to the examination bodies to negotiate higher scores for their children/wards. As noted by Onyechere (2004), it is almost a routine for students to cheat in both internal and external examinations. What makes the matter intractable is the role played by adult agents or collaborators. Among them are teachers, school principals, higher institution students, touts or mercenaries who invade centers to make quick money. Parents are said to provide money too. There are also special coaching schools or centers which aid and abet examination malpractice for popularity and profit. According to Grissmer (2003), parents’ level of education is the most important factor affecting students’ academic achievement.

Taiwo (1993) submits that parents’ educational background influence the academic achievement of students. Musgrave (2000) states that a child that comes from an educated home would like to follow the steps of his/her family and by this, work actively in his/her studies. Similar results were found by Teese (2004), in his analysis of the students’ performance where he found clear and consistent trends for children from lower socio-economic background. Coleman (1998) state that the relationship between socio-economic disadvantage and learning outcomes has been accepted almost as an article of faith by educators. In most cases, candidates who cheat do not act alone. Sooze (2004) and Onyechere (2004) listed subject teachers, invigilators, supervisors, principals and parents as agents of examination malpractice.

There are also examination ‘mercenaries’ helping some students as well as students who have been caught red-handed. There were also rumours about community’s participation through contribution of money to bribe supervisors and invigilators to look the other way. Where they could not supply the money, they dug trenches on the road leading to their community so that the supervisor would not reach the school while the examination was in progress. It is in view of the above that this study sets out to examine the roles of gender and home related variables on examination malpractices. Such home related variables include religious inclination, moral/religious instructions at home, marriage and family type, family size, socio economic background and person with whom the child stays. For the purpose of this research religious inclination, family type, socio economic background and the person with whom the child stay (parent or guardian) will be of great interest. The study intends to establish how these variables shape students attitude towards examination malpractices.

Statement of the problem
Examination malpractice has a number of effects on various sectors of our national life. One of these is its threat to quality assurance. People have started to doubt the authenticity of certificates issued to candidates by examination bodies and higher institutions. Ordinarily, the presentation of a certificate should be enough to take decision on the suitability of a candidate for appointments or his eligibility for admission. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. Most employers now subject applicants to rigorous examination and series of interviews to determine their suitability. Universities now have to conduct a post JAMB test to determine candidates’ eligibility for admission. Malpractices in JAMB have eroded the confidence hitherto reposed in the organization by universities. This is because examination malpractices make it possible for candidates to obtain certificates that are in conflict with their abilities. The aforementioned, underscores the need to conduct a study of this nature which sets to find out if participation in this practice is a function of the gender of the candidate or that of home related variables.

As a step towards reducing, if not totally eradicating incidence of examination malpractices, this study sets out to examine factors that are likely to predispose students to involvement in examination malpractices. Factors of interests include gender, family type, family size, SES of the family, religion and who the child stays with.

Significance of the study.
This study will assist in educating parents, schools’ administrators, students, government and all stakeholders in education industry on the variables that could reduce malpractices and what could be done to put the menace in check.

It will provide empirical data on home variables that are positively related to attitudes to examination malpractices in secondary schools students. It will also identify the immediate causes of examination malpractices emphasizing the roles of gender and some home related variables in the promotion of the scourge. This will provide a basis for suggestion on how to minimize if not totally eradicated examination malpractices.

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