Examination Malpractice In Africa - Who Is Truly Responsible?

Examination Malpractice in Africa...Who Is Truly Responsible?

The West African Examinations Council WAEC in Ghana seized 6812 results  belonging to some of the candidates who sat the June 2015 Basic Education Certificate Examination BECE as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged examination malpractice.

In August  2015, 118,101 candidates who sat the West African Senior School Certificate Examination WASSCE  in Nigeria had their results withheld for similar reasons.

Kenya reported that 1,702 students who sat the Certificate of Primary Education CPE were involved in examination malpractices.

The issue of examination malpractice and the subsequent seizure of candidates results have been part and parcel of the African education scene for over 30 years.  In some instances, the education body has gone all the way to even blacklist some schools thereby stopping students from these institutions from participating in national examinations.  

However what seems to be more baffling is the increase in numbers of candidates allegedly involved and their age range too. For example in Ghana, the BECE is written by students in the third year of junior secondary school and aged 15. In Kenya the students involved were aged around 12.

So how does a 12 year old get involved in examination malpractice?  First it is pertinent to note that there are varying degrees of examination malpractice from candidates asking their colleagues for answers during the examination, to having full access to examination question paper prior to the official examination date and preparing the answers well beforehand.  And this is what makes up over 70% of the cases.

It is plain to see that such an operation is definitely beyond the abilities of the students alone. There are other collaborators who could be but not limited to teachers / invigilators, school owners, examination body staff, security agents, parents – yes parents and the students and even organized criminal gangs. All previous investigations seemed to have focused on the students and the schools only.  This is evident from the penalties often meted out which usually falls on students and schools. For over three decades there has not been a case of a member of the examination board, a parent or security personnel being put on trial for partaking in examination malpractice.  If it’s just the schools and the students alone who seem to be involved going by the investigations, then by now the problem ought to be on the decline and not on the increase.

There is much more than meets the eye in this matter. Government and stakeholders need to work hand in hand to deal a decisive blow to this ugly menace before it eats up the entire African education system.