Monday, November 5, 2012

Exam Malpractice: Rescuing the Future 1


By Msonter Anzaa

“The worst day of a man’s life is the day he sits down and plans how he can get something for nothing.” Thomas Jefferson

Exam malpractice is a common phenomenon in Nigeria. Wherever exams are held, the probability that there is exam malpractice in that place is 1. It will certainly be there. We have all witnessed it. We all know someone who has indulged in it. Some of us have engaged in it for ourselves or our friends. Some of us are exam malpractice contractors – we are contracted to facilitate it on our clients’ behalf. Of course we all admit it is morally and socially wrong, so why do we still engage in it? This series looks at causes of exam malpractice, its effects and how we can reduce it and instill credibility in our exams.


Who are those who engage in exam malpractice? They are parents, teachers, students and all who have a role to play in the education of our society. One major cause of exam malpractice is the one mentioned by Thomas Jefferson above – the desire to get something for nothing. A lot of things are responsible for this desire. It could be laziness. Some of us are too lazy to do any serious work. We do not have the discipline to sit down and study. We love to gallivant from place to place; one birthday party to another. We want cheap fame, so we are all over the campus, doing whatever we can to get it. We want to pass exams for nothing. It could also be greed. We don’t want to commit anything to our studies. We just want to pass. We’ll look for shortcuts and pass our exams quick, quick, just like that. We think we are smart people. We won’t have to do all the reading and writing; we’d simply take something into the hall and copy onto the answer booklet. We will pass for nothing.

Another cause of exam malpractice is poor upbringing. Some of us come from homes whose moral fabric is rotten. We have no sense of honesty, hard work, commitment or uprightness. It is our nature to misbehave, so when we do something wrong, we are only being natural. No one in our family thinks it is wrong to cheat in exams. We are simply being smart, and our parents are proud to have us. After all, are we not only being like them? Some of them in government change figures, burn some records, throw others in River Benue in order to steal something from public treasury entrusted in their care. When they have “made it,” they hold huge thanksgiving services appreciating heaven for helping those who “help themselves.” They even pay malpractice contractors on our behalf. They put us in miracle centers where SSCE is take-and-chop, and school fees are charged based on how many distinctions one wants to have in the exam.

One other factor encouraging exam malpractice is inability to enforce anti-malpractice laws. Many brilliant laws have been made against exam malpractice. One law recommended 21 years imprisonment upon conviction. The Independent Corrupt Practices Act 2000 recommends 7 years imprisonment. Yet as I write this, no one I know has gone to jail or paid a fine for being convicted of exam malpractice. So the message has been sent that you can actually go away with malpractice. As a result, exam invigilators now go to their stations with high financial expectations. They would task the students a certain amount each and would then allow them conduct themselves whichever way they want. Everyone gains. The invigilator gets some extra money to spray at the evening drinking party. The students get good grades for nothing. The invigilator will not go to jail, even if he is caught. However, he wouldn’t even be caught. If he were caught at all, he would simply share the malpractice sum with the law agent and the deal would be settled. Corruption; everyone is guilty of it. The students would not be caught as long as they play their role. And the malpractice cycle flourishes. 

Perhaps the greatest factor in favour of exam malpractice is the acceptability is has in our society. It is a normal thing. Our students are expected to indulge in it to pass their exams in flying colours. We want them to make quick progress in their academics, graduate, get jobs and make money. In fact, we are at a point in Nigeria’s history where not to indulge in malpractice is an abnormal thing. Helping others to pass their exams the malpractice way is a compulsory patriotic duty. It’s an act of community service! That’s how far we have come, and this attitude nourishes the virus called exam malpractice.
To be continued

                What Manner of Education? 1
               What Manner of Education? 2
              What Manner of Education? 3

1 comment:

  1. And some people feel comfortable doing this, when others were burning their night candles, where were they, partying, jolificatin, flirting and they don't just have the time for reading any bullshit... God Help such people

    ReplyDelete

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