WAEC Hands Over Principals, Supervisors, and Invigilators in 5 States to Police for Exam Malpractice

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has handed over to the police principals, supervisors, invigilators and proprietors who connived with candidates to cheat during the 2023 May/June WASSCE examinations in five states.

This is just as the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results performance dropped by 3.45 in both English Language and Mathematics.

Mr Patrick Areghan, the Head of National Office (HNO) of West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in Nigeria disclosed that the Council has handed over principals, supervisors, invigilators and proprietors who connived with candidates to cheat during the examinations in five states to the police for prosecutions.

The states culpable in the alleged examination malpractice include Abia, Borno, Imo, Ogun and Oyo States.

According to him, “The results of Two Hundred and Sixty-Two Thousand, Eight Hundred and Three (262,803) candidates, representing 16.29% of the total number of candidates that sat the examination, are being withheld in connection with various reported cases of examination malpractice.

“This is (6.54%) lower than the 22.83% recorded in the WASSCE for
School Candidates, 2022. The reasons for this are not far-fetched.
Candidates are no longer ready to study, they lack self-confidence
and preparations for examinations are poor.

“There is over-reliance on the so-called ‘Expo’, which is non-existent. Candidates got frustrated when they got to the examination hall and discovered that all they had celebrated was fake.

“This has pitiably led to some of
them failing the examination, which, if they had relied on themselves
and studied adequately, would have passed like many others.”

Areghan decried the allegations from many quarters as false that said criminals were able to hacked into the WAEC website to access question papers because the website lacked some security features.

He pointed out that in the end, those who depended on the so called licked question papers failed because the questions they got were not genuine.

Areghan said: “The activities of rogue website operators and the so-called miracle centres once again reared their ugly heads, but they did not go unnoticed and unpunished, as the Council was able to identify and apprehend these unpatriotic fellows through the help of security operatives.

“Some supervisors compromised their positions and allowed candidates to come into the examination hall with their cell phones. Sometimes, they did the snapping and posting of questions themselves.

“A good number of supervisors, invigilators, school proprietors, and principals who were caught aiding and abetting examination malpractice by way of snapping and posting examination question papers online were arrested in Abia, Borno, Imo, Ogun and Oyo States.

“They are currently chatting with the Police all over the federation. The
Council, on its part, through the Nigeria Examinations Committee (NEC), will mete out appropriate sanctions to affected supervisors through the various State Ministries of Education.

“Some people continue to make the mistake of thinking that WAEC posts questions on its website, and that because these websites are not well secured, that’s why candidates have access to them! This is most untrue and unfair.”

In the WASSCE results analysis, the HNO said: “A total of One Million, Six Hundred and Twenty-One Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty Four (1,621,884) candidates registered for the examination from Twenty Thousand, Eight Hundred and Sixty-Seven (20,867) recognized secondary schools in the country. Of the number that registered for the examination, One Million, Six Hundred and Thirteen Thousand, Seven Hundred and Thirty-Three
(1,613,733) candidates sat the examination.”

“I also wish to report that a total of Seventy Thousand, Seven Hundred and Ninety-Four (70,794) candidates, with varying degrees of Special Needs, registered for the examination.

“Out of this number,One Hundred and Nine (109) were visually impaired, Three Hundred and Eight-Six (386) had impaired hearing: Thirty-Three (33) were spastic cum mentally challenged and Thirty-Four (34) were
physically challenged.

“All these candidates were adequately provided for in the administration of the examination. The results of these candidates have been processed and are also now being released along with those of other candidates.”

He continued: “Out of the total number of candidates that sat the examination in Nigeria, One Million, Four Hundred and Seventy-Six Thousand, Five Hundred and Sixty-Five (1,476,565) candidates, representing 91.5% have their results fully processed and released while One Hundred and Thirty-Seven Thousand, One Hundred and Sixty-Eight (137,168) candidates, representing 8.5% have a few of their subjects still being processed due to some shortcomings, non-challant, lethargy, incomplete CASS upload, disobedience of rubrics, etc associated with the schools and candidates concerned.

” However, efforts are being made to complete the resolution process to enable all the affected candidates to speedily get their results fully processed and released within the next couple of days.”

“The analysis of the statistics of the performance of candidates in
the examination shows that out of the One Million, Six Hundred and
Thirteen Thousand, seven Hundred and Thirty-Three (1,613,733)
candidates that sat the examination, One Million,Three Hundred and
Sixty-One Thousand, Six Hundred and Eight (1,361,608) candidates,
representing 84.38%, obtained credit and above in a minimum of any
five (5) subjects (i.e with or without English Language and/ or
Mathematics.

“One Million, Two Hundred and Eighty-Seven, Nine Hundred and
Twenty (1,287,920) candidates, representing 79.81%, obtained
credits and above in a minimum of five (5) subjects, including English
Language        and        Mathematics.”

“Of this number, Six Hundred and Sixteen Thousand, Nine Hundred
and Fourteen (616,914) i.e. 47.9% were male candidates, while Six
Hundred and Seventy-One Thousand and Six (671,006) i.e. 52.1%
were female candidates.

” The percentage of candidates in this category in the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2022, that is, those who obtained credit and above in a minimum of five (5) subjects,
including English Language and Mathematics, was 76.36%.

“Thus, there is 3.45% decrease in performance in this regard.”