WAEC RESULTS AND MATTERS ARISING

Examination malpractices distort the accuracy of educational evaluations of students 

The depressing state of education in the country was again highlighted last week when the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) released the results of the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). Although the number of candidates whose results were withheld over alleged examination malpractices is lower than what was recorded in 2025, it is still uncomfortably high. “All the cases are being investigated, and reports of the investigations will be presented to the appropriate Committee of the Council for consideration and final decisions,” said the Head of WAEC’s Nigeria National Office, Amos Dangut, who attributed many of the cases to the increasing use of mobile phones in examination halls and organised cheating in some schools.

  Dangut said rogue websites sold fake examination questions to candidates and parents, adding some suspects have been arrested. We hope that there will be a diligent prosecution to bring the culprits to justice. Examination malpractices not only undermine fairness and equal opportunity, but they also distort the accuracy of educational evaluations of students. But over the years, misconduct of all stripes has become pronounced in our examinations. From cheating with the aid of phones or other electronic devices to collusion, bribery, impersonation, to obtaining exam questions before the exam as in the present case, examination malpractices pose a significant risk to the dependability of examination results and certification of the students.

 Today, rather than read their books and prepare adequately for exams, many students at various levels look for an opportunity to cheat. It is even more disheartening to know that some parents connive with school authorities to perpetrate this social malady. This portends great danger to the quality of our human capital and by extension, our workforce. The WAEC boss has said that some supervisors and invigilators caught aiding examination malpractices would be sanctioned through the appropriate state ministries of education. Dangut has also identified logistics challenges, late registration by schools, and rising inflation as some of the major difficulties encountered during the examination.

  Persistent examination malpractices reflect the long-standing decay in the education sector across the country. Besides, the sharp academic decline over the years could be attributed largely to the utter neglect of the learning environment. Most schools lack the basic educational infrastructure. This is also true of staffing. From Kaduna to Benin City, Kebbi to Sapele, the facilities in most schools have either collapsed or rundown, while the quality of the education being offered is suspect. There are today, classrooms without teachers, or where there are, many pupils can hardly differentiate between blue and black.

 A thorough overhaul of our education system should be initiated and implemented urgently to curtail this malaise. This should include addressing the problem of inadequate funding, poor teaching quality, and related issues. In addition, measures should be enforced to prevent examination malpractice, while increased surveillance, and stricter penalties should be imposed. The legislature needs to update the laws with severe sanctions to act as a deterrent to students, teachers, institutions, and parents alike. The re-introduction of reading and library classes as compulsory components in primary and secondary schools will help to stimulate and inculcate the reading culture in students.

  Indeed, the crisis in our educational sector is so total and frightening that nothing short of a well-thought-out strategy will do for any meaningful change to occur. We need short, medium and long terms plan with clear objectives and measurable timelines to reform the entire system. In the interim, we must fashion out ways by which the federal, states and local governments, and stakeholders from the private sector would come together to save post-primary education in Nigeria.