The National Examinations Council (NECO) has blacklisted three schools in Katsina, Kebbi and Oyo states for two years for alleged involvement in mass cheating.
The acting registrar of NECO, Mr. Abubakar Gana, who disclosed stated this in a brief submitted to the minister of education, Mr. Adamu Adamu in Abuja yesterday urged the federal government to formulate a deliberate policy aimed at promoting discipline and a culture of honesty among teachers, school administrators and students.
Gana also disclosed that in the June/July 2019 Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE), the council recorded over 40,000 cases of examination malpractices.
He said the act was perpetrated in connivance with supervisors, teachers and school administrators, who, according to him, ought to be part of the army in fighting examination fraud.
“The Council successfully conducted the 2019 June/July SSCE. A total of 1,163,194 candidates registered for the examination conducted in 16,093 centres in the 36 States and FCT between 20th May and 12th July, 2019.
The results were released on 27th August, 2019 with a total of 829,787 (71.59%) candidates having 5 Credits and above including English Language and Mathematics.
“A total of 40,630 (3.53%) candidates were involved in the various forms of malpractice; 18 Supervisors were blacklisted for poor supervision, aiding, abetting and connivance with candidates to perpetrate examination malpractice.
“Three schools, one each in Katsina, Kebbi and Oyo States were de-recognised for two years for their involvement in collusion and mass cheating,” he said.
He added that although NECO acquired 8,000 biometric verification machines before its conduct of the 2019 SSCE, the registrar said the exam body requires more biometric verification devices to serve its over 16,000 centres and enable it strengthen its effort towards eliminating identity theft, which he said “is the severest form of examination malpractice.”
Speaking on NECO’s achievements, Gana said when he resumed work, he embarked on critical reforms, which led to the successful conduct of the 2018 June/July SSCE under compelling circumstances and released the result within 40 days.
He also said the examination body abolished the use of scratch cards following the scam that bedevilled it.
He said the fraud associated with the scratch cards resulted in the loss of hundreds of millions of naira in revenue.
Consequently, he said NECO had to subject all printed 2018 November/December registration cards to activation only after payment for each card must have been credited to the Council’s TSA.
More so, he said NECO had successfully developed and integrated the 2019 November/December SSCE registration software on its new website and regular registration for the examination effective August 19, 2019.
Gana said due to successful blockage of financial leakages and increased prudence in the management of the Council’s resources, NECO successfully implemented 100 per cent duty tour allowance for staff, resulting in the attainment of unprecedented industrial peace and good working relationship with all trade unions.
