The Anambra State Government has recorded a massive decline in cases of examination malpractice in the last one year.
The state Commissioner for Education, Prof. Kate Omenugha, said on Wednesday that the vice had reduced by 5.57 per cent cases in 2016 from 10.9 per cent recorded in 2014.
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN reports that Omenugha said the statistics revealing the decline and released by WAEC showed Anambra as one of the eight states “that recorded a decline in cheating during its examination.’’
The commissioner said the statistics showed that 2,267 candidates were involved in 2,793 examination malpractices in 2016 among 40,702 candidates that wrote the examination.
She said that the war against the vices should be sustained.
The pursuit of value-based education reforms in the school system would further enhance a decline in examination malpractices now and in the future, she said.
“What has happened in Anambra is a consistent and strategic rise to the top; it is a bold and courageous step toward the eradication of criminality in education.
“The goal of Gov.Willie Obiano-led administration is providing education where our children will hold their heads high and defend their certificates; one that is credible and value-based,” she said.
Omenugha also said the successful handover of some schools in the state to their original mission owners and the effectiveness of the policy have had a positive effect on the Anambra school system.
She said 733 primary schools and about 30 secondary schools were handed over to various missions in the state.
“There are still issues because some missions are alleging that their schools were handed over to another and some communities are also saying that their schools where handed over to the missions,” she said.
Omenugha said despite the seeming challenges, the policy had been effective and rewarding.
She said the public-mission schools were run with good government and mission funding arrangements that had resulted in improved infrastructure, discipline, better academic performance and positive competitive spirit.
“It has a lot of advantages as Anambra educational system has consistently improved; the standard has increased, our examination outcome has increased with 75 per cent of our students passing English and Mathematics.
“Examination malpractice has drastically reduced,” she said.