The Benue State House of Assembly has passed the Examination Malpractice Prohibition Bill 2017. It did so during its plenary in Makurdi.
The Chairman, Committee on Education, Mrs Ngunan Addingi, had said that the state needed a legal framework that would aid in the eradication of examination malpractice.
She said examination malpractice, which is prevalent in the state, was fast eroding peoples’ confidence in education in the state.
Addingi said that school principals, especially in rural areas, were admitting students in SSS 3 and aiding them during external examinations to indulge in malpractices.
Contributing on the matter, Mr Terhemba Chabo (Gboko West/APC), blamed the increasing rate of examination malpractice in the state on lack of supervision by the education inspectorate units of both the state and local government.
He also blamed it on teachers’ failure in their duties to impart the desired knowledge into the students.
Mr Benjamin Mngutyo (Tarka/APC) called on employers to de-emphasise on certificates but rather on what one could offer and skills.
He said if this was in place, examination malpractice would be curbed or nipped in the bud forever.
Mr Richard Ujege (Konshisha/APC), blamed parents for encouraging their wards by taking them to the ‘so called miracle centres’ to register for external examinations.
Mr Terkaa Ucha (Tiev/PDP), on his part, accused politicians whom he said are involved in malpractice by sponsoring touts to register for external examinations in the miracle centres.
Member representing Gboko East/APC, Mrs Ngohemba Agaigbe, urged schools to stop admitting other SSS3 students as a panacea for curbing malpractice.
Ruling on the matter, Mr Terkimbi Ikyange, the Speaker, charged the ministry of education to step up monitoring of schools to ensure that malpractices were tackled head-on.
Ikyange further urged secondary schools to stop admitting students in SSS 3 as a way of curbing examination malpractice.
He said that under the law any student, under 18 years, who was involved in malpractice would be fined N50, 000 or one year jail term or both.
