Alausa warns parents, teachers, proprietors, students against examination malpractice
Tunji Alausa, minister of education, has warned parents, teachers, school proprietors, principals, invigilators and students against examination malpractice.
Alausa gave the warning on Thursday at a meeting with the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) and other stakeholders in the education sector in Abuja.
He said examination malpractice had become deeply entrenched in the country, creating an unfair environment for students who prepare honestly for their examinations.
The minister said the practice not only distorts results but also disadvantages hardworking students and undermines confidence in qualifications awarded by the nation’s education system.
Alausa stressed that tackling examination malpractice requires collective responsibility across the education system, saying students are not the only actors involved in the practice.
He called on parents, teachers, proprietors, principals, invigilators and other stakeholders to uphold examination rules, provide conducive learning environments and discourage practices that give candidates unfair access to examination materials.
The minister said the federal government was strengthening examination administration to make public examinations more secure and ensure that results reflect genuine learning and merit.
He added that the measures form part of the wider education sector reforms of the Bola Tinubu administration aimed at improving standards, strengthening accountability and rebuilding trust in Nigeria’s assessment system.
‘SERIALISED QUESTIONS WILL MAKE LEAKAGES DIFFICULT’
Also speaking, Suwaiba Ahmad, minister of state for education, urged private school proprietors and other stakeholders to support the reforms.
Ahmad said stronger examination controls could initially expose gaps in students’ actual preparation, noting that some students who perform exceptionally well in internal examinations may have become accustomed to accessing leaked questions ahead of external examinations.
She said such students could be less prepared when avenues for accessing leaked materials are closed.
Ahmad said the introduction of serialised examination questions would make reliance on leaked materials more difficult and reinforce the need for students to prepare genuinely for examinations.
She urged schools to complete the curriculum on schedule and encourage consistent study, while assuring private education stakeholders that the ministry would continue to engage and support them during the implementation of the reforms.
The minister said the ultimate goal was to ensure that examination results provide a credible measure of students’ knowledge and abilities.
Alausa assured stakeholders that the federal government would continue to work with private schools, examination bodies and other partners to strengthen the credibility of Nigeria’s examination system.
He said the administration remained committed to protecting the interests of genuine learners and building an education system where academic qualifications are earned through knowledge, hard work and merit.
