WAEC cancels results of candidates[2014]

Firstclass newsline learnt that the National Examinations (NEC)
Committee of WAEC on Thursday said that it had cancelled results of
candidates involved in examination malpractices at the 2014
examinations. Mr Damianus Ojijeogu of the Public Affairs Department in
WAEC disclosed this in a statement in Lagos. He said that the decision
was taken at the 59th meeting of the committee.
Ojijeogu said that the communiqué of the meeting was signed by an
officer at the Public Affairs Department of WAEC, Mr Damianus
Ojijeogu. It said the committee reviewed a report on irregularity and
special and clemency cases arising from the conduct of the May/June
2014 West African Senior School Certificate (WASSCE) at the meeting.
The statement said that the communiqué also said that the committee
considered a report on the conduct of the November/December 2014
WASSCE, including irregularity cases arising from the conduct of the
examination. It said that there were proven cases of malpractices by
some candidates.
"In the course of considering the various reported cases of
malpractice, the committee, after diligent deliberations, approved
appropriate sanctions in all established cases of malpractice.
"This action is as prescribed by the rules and regulations governing
the conduct of the council's examinations. "It approved that the
entire results of such candidates involved in proven cases be
cancelled. "The communiqué also recommended that the subjects' results
of those involved in proven cases of malpractice be similarly
cancelled.
" In addition, some candidates will also suffer other sanctions such
as barring them from sitting for the council's examinations for a
certain number of years," it said. The statement said that the
decisions of the committee would be implemented without delay, while
the affected candidates would be duly informed by the council. It,
however, said that the results of candidates exonerated by the
committee would be released.
According to the communiqué, the committee's sanctions will also be
imposed on all the ad-hoc examination staff that condoned the
malpractice. "The committee has directed all the ad-hoc examination
functionaries, who were indicted of involvement or condoning
malpractice during the conduct of the examination, be reported to
appropriate state Ministries of Education.
"The ad-hoc examination functionaries, who participated during the
November/December 2014 WASSCE, would also be reported to relevant
bodies for disciplinary action. "This will be in addition to the
sanctions imposed on them by the council. "The committee, as in
previous meetings, strongly expressed concern at the alarming
incidence of malpractice in examinations and urged stakeholders to
join hands in curbing the menace," it said.
According to the communiqué, identified weaknesses of candidates are
mentioned in the reports including poor mathematical skills and
Geography 3. It also identified other weaknesses ranging from poor
handwriting, omission of units in their final answers to numerical
problems in Physics 2 and inability to spell technical terms correctly
as observed in Biology 3 and Health, among others.
The communiqué suggested the need for students to learn the basic
principles and concepts in the various subjects and apply them in
solving everyday problems as some of the remedies. It urged the
Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission
to urgently facilitate the recognition of the newly introduced trade
subjects.
According to the communiqué, these subjects should be added to the
list of acceptable subjects for admission into universities. It said
that the committee had, before their deliberations, unanimously
elected Mrs Fatima Abdulrahaman to act as the chairman. Abdulrahaman
is the National President, All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of
Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS).
Firstclassnewsline.net