…suspends 68th Annual Council Meeting over coronavirus
The Nigeria Examinations Committee of the West African Examinations Council has said that incidence of examination malpractice increased significantly in the 2019 West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination.
The committee disclosed this at its 69th meeting held between March 9 and 10, 2020 in Lagos.
The Committee said it observed, on consideration of the statistics presented for the WASSCE for School Candidates 2019, that examination malpractice, which had decreased drastically in 2018 had increased significantly.
In addition, the Committee observed that in the WASSCE for School Candidates 2019, ‘collusion’ at the rate of 10.68 per cent was the most rampant examination offence committed by candidates.
It, therefore, called for stiffer sanctions against schools, principals, supervisors, invigilators and candidates caught aiding and abetting examination malpractice.
The committee also called on all stakeholders to redouble their efforts in the fight against the menace.
The Committee, which is the highest decision-making organ of WAEC on examination-related matters in Nigeria, meets twice a year to consider matters relating to the conduct of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School and Private Candidates.
Its statutory Chairman is the Chief Government Nominee on Council. Membership of the Committee comprises four representatives each, of the State Ministries of Education and the Department of Education of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, ANCOPSS and the Universities.
It also includes the Registrar to Council, the Head of the Nigeria National Office, the Head of the Test Development Division and the Head of the Test Administration Division of the Council.
The Committee also received reports on Special Irregularity Cases and Appeals for Clemency arising from the conduct of the WASSCE for School Candidates 2019, which had earlier been considered at its 68th Meeting.
The Committee also received reports on the conduct of the WASSCE for Private Candidates 2019-Second Series and 2020-First Series as well as Irregularity Cases arising from the conduct of these examinations.
In the course of considering the various reported cases of malpractice, the Committee, after diligent deliberations, approved appropriate sanctions in all established cases of malpractice, as prescribed by the Rules and Regulations governing the conduct of the Council’s examinations.
It approved that the entire results of candidates involved in proved cases, which attract Cancellation of Entire Results, be cancelled, while subject results of those involved in proved cases, which attract Cancellation of Subject Results, be similarly cancelled. In addition, some candidates will also suffer other sanctions such as barring them from sitting for the Council’s examinations for two years.
The decisions, according to the Committee, will be implemented without delay and the affected candidates and examination centres duly informed by the Council.
However, the results of candidates who were exonerated by the Committee will be released.
The Committee received, considered proposals and approved a new set of rules on appropriate sanctions for dealing with cases of inscriptions, which are relevant to the ongoing examination on parts of the body, by candidates in the examination hall and of insult/assault by school officials/proprietors on examination functionaries.
However, the Committee commended the Council for the steady increase in candidature and the lower levels of examination malpractice recorded in the WASSCE for Private Candidates 2020-First Series.
This development, according to the committee, was attributed to thorough supervision by staff of the Council and effective cooperation by other stakeholders in the Education sector and urged the Council not to relent in its efforts to stem the ugly trend.
Meanwhile, the Council has suspended its 68th Annual Council Meeting scheduled to hold in Monrovia, Liberia, from March 23 to 27, 2020.
In his goodwill message on the occasion of the 68th WAEC day celebration, the Registrar, Mr. Pateh Bah, said the Council was at the peak of arrangements for this anniversary celebration to be followed by the holding of the 68th Annual Council Meeting in Monrovia, Liberia from March 23 to 27, 2020 “when we realised that the rapid spread of the Coronavirus pandemic would not augur well for large gatherings and close interactions, which normally characterise the events of the Annual Council Meeting.
“We have commenced preparations for the conduct of examinations and other activities of the Council across the sub-region. Under the current unfortunate circumstances therefore, the international A & F Committee, at its 176th (Special) Meeting held in Accra on Thursday, March 12, 2020, had to take a difficult decision to suspend the 68th Annual Council Meeting until the global health situation improves.
“As you celebrate in your country, you should individually endeavour to encourage fellow members of the great WAEC family to continue to raise high the banner of WAEC and uphold the ideals upon which the Council was founded.
“Colleagues all, we deserve to congratulate ourselves on the achievements recorded through our collective efforts in the past year. The Council met the expectations of its publics and satisfied the aspirations of stakeholders in education by executing its mandate creditably across the sub-region.”
He continued, “While flaunting the impressive scorecard of the past year, we are conscious of the commitment and support received from Council, the confidence reposed in the Council by Member Governments and the trust and goodwill expressed by stakeholders in education.
“Management has therefore, pledged on behalf of all staff to showcase better performance and greater achievements in the years ahead. To this end, Management has identified a number of latent potentials and mapped out in each case the appropriate strategy that can enhance the quality and scope of productivity in the critical operations of the Council.
“Most importantly, as the scourge of the dreaded Corona Virus is rife globally at this period, I urge you all to pay closer attention to the health and safety of all members of your families. Ensure that you take all necessary precautions based on informed advice from medical experts and promptly take advantage of the health facilities provided by the government in case of any emergency.”
March 16 is the day designated WAEC Day, and on this day each year, staff and friends of the Council in The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone set aside all other things to celebrate in commemoration of the creation of the institution in March 1952.
