Causes Of Examination Malpractice Among Secondary School Students And Their Consequences

INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Education involves the teaching, learning and imparting of knowledge and skills on individuals. It is the transmission of what is considered worthwhile in a society into individuals as to make them knowledgeable and become contributing members of the society. According to Plato (1965) “education is what makes a man eagerly to pursue the ideal perfection of citizenship and teach him both the rule and how to obey”. Education is the concrete foundation upon which the socio-political, economic, cultural, scientific and technological super structure of society is built. When this foundation is strong enough, the future of the society is assured, but when the foundation is weak, then the future is invariably weak or fuzzy. Nigeria’s educational system today is weak due to poor funding, cultism, constant strike and above all examination malpractice.
Examination malpractice refers to any act by a candidate, his collaborator or both, which contravenes examination rules and regulations and gives the candidate undue advantage of a better performance in the examination. According to Olayinka (1999), “it is a misconduct or improper practice in an examination with a view to obtaining good results through fraudulent means” To Ugwu (1993), examination malpractice is virtually in all schools in Nigeria and those caught and punished are just a tiny fraction of the entire students involved in the act .
According to Edda (2000), examination malpractice started from lazy students copying answers from their neighbours whom they considered to be brighter than themselves. Later, the cheats resorted to copying from passages, which are smuggled into examination halls and converting their palms and legs into writing pads etc. The system in the recent time has gathered momentum and become more sophisticated. It’s dimensions include impersonation, multiple entries, substitution of answer scripts, leakage of question papers, alteration of scores, falsification of result sheets and ultimately certificate forgery. In Awake magazine of January 22nd, 2003, it was reported that what began as copying of home work or using crib sheets graduated into high tech tactics such as, the use of pagers that receive answers to test questions from remote callers, miniature cameras hidden in shirt pockets, devices that transmit infrayed messages to nearby classmates and internet sites that contain completed term papers on virtually any subject.
Examination malpractice in the Nigeria context has assumed such dimensions that it is threatening to uproot the very foundation of the entire system. It is daily breaking new grounds and fast becoming a culture in our institutions at all levels. While some committed educators at all levels are trying to reverse this alarming trend, the task has not been easy. Furthermore, it was inferred in the Awake Magazine aforesaid that “not every student – or teacher-agrees on what constitutes cheating” in an examination.
The Nigerian society and government had made several concerted efforts to check this ugly trend, but to no avail. To this end, the federal military government in 1984 promulgated Decree 20, which stipulated a 21years jail term for any candidate guilty of examination malpractice. This was followed by Decree 22 of 1986 which reduced the prison term to 10years.
Various educational institutions, examination bodies-JAMB, NECO, WAEC etc- as well as the federal and the states ministries of education have made various efforts to check this ugly trend, but nothing positive has been achieved to that effect. Rather, their effects have at best only succeeded in slowing the spread of this cankerworm, which has continued to pose a debilitating effect on our educational system.
The consequences of examination malpractice on the growth and development of Nigeria cannot be over emphasized. For one, it has led to the production of graduates who cannot defend their certificates. According to Ene (2000), Examination malpractice has contributed in injecting dull students into our nations tertiary institution which resultant effect has been the graduation of half-baked graduates as well as presenting dull students into the labour market for employment. In its editorial of 12th December 1994, the Newswatch magazine observed that “products of Nigerian universities are now treated with utter disdains in foreign countries.” Those of them who seek admission for graduate studies in foreign countries are subjected to the humiliation of a compulsory one year remedial course in American and European colleges to qualify for admission. This according to the magazine is “a national shame.”
Examination malpractice has direct impact on our national psyche. Unfortunately as observed in the same Awake Magazine “the sheer number of students who are willing to sacrifice standards of honestly can make cheating appear harmless.” That notwithstanding, it is for this reason that the researchers sought to highlight the causes and consequences of examination malpractice among secondary school students in Enugu State, a case study of Enugu education zone.

Statement of the Problem
Examination as a form of evaluation serves the purpose of monitoring the progress of both the students and the teacher. It is however very unfortunate that this method of evaluation the outcomes of learning in our schools and colleges has suffered unprecedented forms of abuse in the hands of students, teachers, supervisors, parents etc, in the form of examination malpractice. Examination malpractice renders unreliable and doubtful the proficiency, which examination results conferred on holders of certificates. It moreover lowers the educational standards and the efforts put in by some educators towards the achievement of sound educational standards in the country.
It is therefore, in recognition of the evil effects of this abnormal practice that this research work is constrained to investigate the causes of examination malpractice among secondary school students and their consequences in Enugu State.

Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of this study is to examine the causes of examination malpractice among secondary school students and their consequences in Enugu State, a case study of Enugu Education Zone. Specifically, the study will try to examine among others, whether:
1 The nature of the educational system in Nigeria helps to contribute to examination malpractice.
2 Inadequate human and material resources contribute to examination malpractice.
3 Unscrupulous teachers/examiners aid examination malpractice.
4 Poor remuneration of teachers contributes to examination malpractice.
5 Parents contribute/induce their wards into examination malpractice.

Significance of the Study
This study is quite significant for some obvious reasons. It is hoped that its findings and outcome will be revealing and versatile.
The study will be educationally fruitful to students, teachers, parents, policy makers, the government and indeed the society at large. How they view examination malpractice henceforth will be of immense help to the appropriate authorities and individuals in tackling the menace.
It will sensitize students, teachers, parents, invigilators, supervisors, examination bodies and the government on the gravity of the menace.
The outcome of the study and its recommendations will enable education authorities to know what to do to tackle the menace.
Finally, the study will be of imminence help to future researchers who wish to study related topics.

Scope of the Study
This study seeks to determine causes of examination malpractice among secondary school students and their consequences in Enugu Education zone of Enugu State.
The Enugu education zone comprises of three local government areas; Enugu East; Enugu North and Isi-Uzo Local Government Areas. There are about thirty four (34) Public Secondary Schools in the area under study.

Research Questions
In carrying out this research project, the following research questions have been formulated to guide the study:
1 What are the nature of the educational system in Nigeria contribute to examination malpractice?
2 What have inadequate human/material resources contribute to examination malpractice?
3 How does unscrupulous teachers/examiners aid examination malpractice?
4 How does poor remuneration of teachers contribute to examination malpractice?
5 Does parents contribute/induce examination malpractice?