AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSES OF EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

CHAPTER ONE

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

One of the major problems facing Nigerian education especially in Konshisha Local Government Area today is search for accurate ways to learning. Education is taken to crises which very few of us seem to realize in Nigeria today. When one talks about education in Nigeria today, it is easily nearly the same with what Dore (1976) simply put “the diploma disease”. There is a very serious problem in a system secondary education where over 90% of the people are merely passing through education to obtain a certificate to append after their names. People these days go to school to pass and obtain certificate and not to learn. Cheating is now rampant at public examinations. These menace assumed a large and frightening dimension that has created hopes for early solution. Investigation recently by pass collective 1996 suggested that examination malpractices are no longer the hand work of the candidate alone but illegal operation involving communities, school authorities investigators, printers, storekeepers etc. the cankerworm of examination malpractice has been rampant in Benue state in general and Konshisha in particular. This has eaten deep into the fabric of the Nigeria society. Because of these students are not ready to learn or concentrate on their studies and legitimately take their final year examination, “the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) or ‘National Examinations Council (NECO)’, these students who want to cheat in these types of examination hall illegal materials or wait to be copied on the chalkboard by their hired hands or teachers. However, various campaigns against the menace are being carried out including workshop by the government agents and with this it is expected that the evil of examination malpractice will be and completely be eradicated in Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue state.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

A lot has been said about examination malpractices. Akinkoh J. A (1996) in his paper delivered at the Pals Collective organized campaign against examination malpractice in Kogi central senatorial district of Kogi state titled “Examination malpractice in schools”, fetched out dangers and possible solutions. Another paper by professor Julius Onah (1996) “Evils of Examination malpractices” enumerates the effect and solutions of examination malpractice, in the Daily champion of April 4, 2001. The menace of examination malpractice has done in a calculable average not only to our educational system but also to our national economic life and social life of the country. Examination malpractice brings general indiscipline in schools, mass displacement of talents and Wastage of our national resources. Examination malpractice makes the objectives of examination as a measure of classification by competences, skills job placement and diagnosis of academic failure useless.

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose for choosing the topic; an investigation into the causes of examinations malpractice among secondary school students in Konshisha Local Government Area is to:

A. Assess the effect of examination malpractice in secondary schools in Konshisha Local Government Area.

B. Investigate the causes of examination malpractice in secondary institutions in Benue state and Konshisha Local Government Area in particular.

C. The study will as well suggest some solutions to arresting this situation or recommends measures of minimizing the causes.

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This topic has been chosen by the researcher to find out at which extent examination malpractice affect the educational career of the students in Konshisha local government area and the national standard. This research will provide some useful principles for the government, organizations, private bodies, institutions, teachers and candidates to eliminate or minimize the depressing standard of education in Konshisha local government area and Nigeria at large.

1.5 THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study is limited to Konshisha local government area only. It also focuses on secondary school level in the local government only.

1.6 HYPOTHESES

1 Do students in secondary school involve in examination malpractice?

2 Is there any cause of examination malpractice in secondary school in Konshisha local government area?

3 Is there any difference in examination malpractice and those that are not involved?]]

1.7 DEFINITION TO TERMS

Examination: the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary defines of Current English defines it’s related to education as an assessment tool to determine the level of learning of student or pupils.

Malpractice: the Oxford Advance Learners Dictionary defines malpractice as careless, wrong or illegal behavior while in a professional job.

Secondary School Students: these are the formal school learners receiving education after primary school and before tertiary or university stage.