Abstract
The concern for quality and goal-oriented education in Nigeria necessitated this study. This is because a nation is driven by the quality of education provided for her citizens. However, education in Nigeria today can truly be said to be bedeviled by numerous problems one of which is examination malpractice. Thus, the paper discusses issues in examination malpractice, pointing out causes, consequences and the implications for the counselor. It also recommends ways of controlling the scourge.
Introduction/Definition Of Terms
It is true that no nation, can rise above the quality of education provided for her citizens. And since the advent of western education in Nigeria, examinations have being the major instrument used for the evaluation of learners (or students' achievement). It is a means of assessing the quality and quantity or performance that an individual has accumulated at the end of a teaching process which may spread over a period of seventeen weeks: According to Adekate (1993), examinations are instruments used for the assessment of individuals skills and knowledge-content, both in general and specific areas of studies and over-all academic achievements.
To Liman, as cited by Arifayan (2004), examination in broad perspective is an instrument for testing, assessing, evaluation and accreditation. Thus in schools, examination is a potent instrument for judgment of knowledge or competence. On her own part, Alutu (2005) simply defined examination as a process of measuring how much knowledge a student in an institution of learning has acquired after exposing him/her to definite course of instruction.
Drawing upon all these definitions, examinations can rightly be said to be an indispensable tool in our educational system. In fact, examinations serve various functions. They are used mainly to determine students' grades and award of certificate to candidates. Usually, certificates are awarded to only those candidates who pass the final examinations at the end of their course. Examination also serves as a means of selecting the best candidates for various purposes. Students are admitted into different institutions of learning on the basis of their scores in the stipulated qualifying examinations. Moreover, promotion of students within the institution/school is based on passing the examinations set for that purpose. In addition, examinations help the lecturers/teachers to evaluate their own work. The application of tests and examinations helps the lecturers/teachers to adjust or change his instructional strategies in the process of teaching and learning in the school system. If the student's performance in examination is encouraging, then it indicates that the teachers'/lecturers' methods of teaching are appropriate and efficient.
From the above, it can be seen that success in examination serves as a good motivator for students, teachers, school administrators and employers of labour. On the other hand, failure to perform successfully in examination demoralizes all and sundry, especially students. It is the crave to succeed and avoid frustration and or any embarrassment associated with failure that makes students engage in examination malpractices which has threatened the very foundation of our educational system.
Examination malpractice is construed as irregularities, violation of, or infringements on examinations rules and regulations …… before, during or after the conduct of examination (2005/2006) students handbook of information, Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi.
Alutu (2005) defines examination malpractice as involving a deliberate act of wrong doing, contrary to official examination rules, and is designed to place a candidate at an unfair advantage. Ahmed cited by Arifayan (2004) refers to examination malpractice as any act of wrong doing or neglect that contravenes the rules of acceptable practice before during and after an examination by anybody in any way which is tantamount to malpractice; such act could be carried out by the candidate/student, the examination official(s) (such as an examiner/lecturer, invigilator, supervisor, typist, or secretaries, security personnel, heads of institutions etc) or any other person not associated directly with the examination either individually or with the consent and connivance of either or all of the parties. Such act may be carried out before, during or after the examination with the sole aim of assisting the candidate/student through fraudulent means to obtain grades over and above his/her level of achievement or mastery.
Examination malpractice has graduated from mere stretching of the neck (giraffing) to see what another candidate is writing during exam or consulting unauthorized notes or books inside or outside the examination hall to such sophisticated methods as the use of micro-computer, mobile phones and gun(s) to intimidate those concerned with the administration of examination. For instance, there may be leakage of examination questions (Expo) by any of the parties who are authorized or unauthorized to handle questions and those who may be involved in the processing of examination papers. This prepares the fertile ground for copying during the examinations. This group of students prepares the answer and copies them on pieces of papers with the desire to transcribe the material into the answer sheets. Some write examination information on different parts of their bodies, clothes, walls, blackboard, desks at the venue of the examination and recopy same during their examination. The less crafty ones who cannot procure examinations questions copy the expected answers on pieces of paper and recopy them during examination if luck favours them. There was a case of an engineering student from Calabar polytechnic, caught copying from a foolscap paper which he smuggled into the examination hall. He was almost choked to death as he was swallowing it in an attempt to destroy the evidences (Newswatch July, 1991).
