The 2012 Exam Ethics Report, by the Exam Ethics Marshals International, has identified Bayelsa, Sokoto, Ekiti and Imo, as the first, second, third and fourth worst states with exam malpractice records.
Bayelsa State which was the worst state in the country had an Exam Malpractice Index (EMI) of 44.99%; Sokoto State with EMI of 27.9 %; Ekiti State EMI of 26.69%, and Imo State with EMI of 24%.
According to the report, there was a five percent rise in examination malpractices in the country from the Nigeria National Exam Ethics Index (EEI) being at 86 in 2011, to 82 in 2012.
According to the report, the EEI is calculated based on the composite number of candidates, principals, teachers, supervisors, invigilators and schools sanctioned for malpractices by public examination bodies for the period and geopolitical unit under consideration.
“It is the measure of the number of candidates and exam administrators that respected the rules and regulations of examinations out of every 100 that participated in such examinations. The inverse, Exam Malpractice Index (EMI), is the measure of the number of people sanctioned for malpractices, out of every 100 that participated in the examination,” the report said.
It named the North-east geopolitical zone as the most ethics-friendly zone in 2012 with an EEI of 7.05%. The North-central zone came second with and EEI of 84.09%, while South-west came third with EEI of 83.26. South-east, North-west and South-south emerged fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.
Yobe State emerged the 2012 National Exam Ethics Golden State with Exam Ethics Index of 89.57% while the FCT ranked second with 89.21% to emerge the 2012 National Exam Ethics Silver state.
Bauchi State ranked third with Exam Ethics Index of 88.51% to emerge 2012 National Exam Ethics Bronze state.
For the zonal Exam Ethics Golden States, it said FCT, Yobe, Kano, Abia, Oyo and Edo States ranked number one in Exam Ethics Index in their various zones to emerge the leader in their respective geopolitical zones.
The group regretted the fact that 18 out of every 100 people that participated in examinations in Nigeria last year were indicted for malpractices, which it said were a cause for serious concern, despite slight improvement registered between 2011 and 2012.
The statistics also showed that Bayelsa State has the highest number of de-recognised schools(13), followed by Delta (12), Ondo (eight), Kaduna (seven), Cross River (seven), Imo (seven), Plateau (six), Rivers (six) Kogi (five) Lagos (five) Nasarawa (five), Sokoto (four) and Anambra (four). No school was de-recognised in Taraba, Ebonyi, Borno, Niger, Adamawa, FCT and Yobe.
It indicated that South-south has the highest number of de-registered schools (35.1 percent), followed by South-west (19.3 per cent), North-central (15.7 percent), North-west (15 percent), South-east (13.2 percent), and North East (1.7 percent).
“Progress in the education sector is paralysed by the iron grip of examination malpractice, which has metamorphosed into virtually risk-free highly lucrative organised criminal activity controlled by syndicates, some of whose members are embedded in ministries, institutions and examination bodies as workers.
“Instead of being centres of excellence, some educational institutions have become places where youths are weaned on diets of fraud and dishonesty to breed ready recruits for corruption. A good number of principals, lecturers, teachers, supervisors, invigilators and examination administrators entrusted with responsibility to protect integrity of the examination process are the very people that aid, abet and collude to perpetrate malpractice for monetary and other inducements,” the report said.
Source: ThisDay
