You’re worst culprits of exam malpractice, WAEC replies private school owners…

The West African Examinations Council(WAEC) has insisted that private schools are the worst culprits among social agents aiding malpractice in its West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in the country.

The council said it had never claimed that public schools were not also guilty of examination malpractice but the fact remains that private schools are worse comparatively.

The Head of Public Affairs Department of WAEC Nigeria, Mrs Moyosola Adesina, made this clarification as a response and credited to the National President of National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Yomi Otubela, that WAEC always accused private schools of aiding examination malpractice and make it appears as if public schools are not involving in the practice.

In the report, NAPPS boss said even though private schools had never and would never support or justify exam malpractice in any form, WAEC should not exempt public schools when it is making such accusations.

WAEC, however, in a statement exclusively on Wednesday, said though it would not have bothered to engage private schools in argument over this matter and the others raised in the report, it is doing so to put the record straight particularly for the public.

According to WAEC, the council has never said that public schools are not involved in exam malpractice in the country.

“What we know is that there are some bad and good private schools, just as we have some good and bad public schools but comparatively, private schools are worse in exam malpractice in Nigeria.

It has, however, pointed out it is only private schools that are guilty of non-adherence to candidates’ registration deadlines as public schools duly comply year- in, year-out on that.

“So, Proprietors, principals or examinations officials are warned that anyone culpable of aiding and abetting examination malpractice during this ongoing examination and those in the future would face the wrath of the law guiding the conduct of WAEC exams.