“MEEM advocates against examination malpractices to aid problem-solving.”
One of the objectives of education in Nigeria is to prepare young people to face future challenges and develop them to meet the nation’s manpower requirements.
To this end, there is a need for everyone to rise against the scourge of examination malpractice in the country’s educational system so that students will emerge as problem solvers.
These were the words of admonition by academic experts at the 1st annual symposium with the theme “Impact of Examination Malpractice on Education in Nigeria,” organized by the Mission for the Eradication of Examination Malpractice (MEEM) and held in Akure.
The event drew educators, policymakers, and students to brainstorm on solutions.
While welcoming participants, the Chairman of the occasion, Prof. SM Smith, noted that examination malpractice is not just an educational issue, but it undermines the credibility of the country’s educational system and produces graduates ill-prepared to face the real-world challenges. Hence, the essence of MEEM.
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Mission for the Eradication of Examination Malpractice, Prof. Buniyamin Abdul Kareem, said although one may not be able to rule out examination malpractice in the past, the current trend is alarming and calls for proper management to rid the school system of its consequences, which the body has been addressing.
In his presentation titled “Socio-economic Impact of Examination Malpractice,” a Don, AbdulGaniy Olayinka Raji, called on stakeholders, particularly parents and guardians, to lead the campaign against exam malpractice so that they too can be proud of their children.
Another scholar, Abdulkareem Buniyamin, advocated for more non-governmental organizations like MEEM to be established in order to sensitize young individuals about the dangers of exam malpractice.
A legal practitioner, Omosebiola Abiola, warned that the act is punishable as contained in the Examination Malpractice Act 33 of the 1999 Constitution, with a fine ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 Naira and imprisonment for a term of 3 to 5 years. She called on learners to desist from it.
Participants, including Adamo Fathia, described the exercise as educative, assuring that they would promote the reading culture to tame malpractice.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of gifts to some students who performed well in a competition organized by MEEM, while there were goodwill messages from invited guests.
