Anambra State Government Dismisses WAEC’s Penalty for Schools Involved in Exam Malpractice

The Anambra State Government has turned down the demand by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) that 70 post-primary schools pay a fine of N500,000.00 each for their involvement in alleged examination malpractices.

It was gathered that last year the examination body flagged 70 schools over malpractices and withheld the results of the students.

According to the State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-udeh, the action of WAEC is a rip-off on the schools in the state, adding that the punishment is being meted out to innocent students while those alleged to have committed the crime have long graduated.

“It makes no sense because those involved in the alleged examination malpractices have long graduated and you are punishing those that are innocent and this is unacceptable to the state government.”

“We have directed the affected schools not to pay because tomorrow they would come again with another fine and soon Anambra state schools would become a cash cow in the hands of WAEC and this we do not want.”

“We are not in support of students being involved in examination malpractices, and we have zero tolerance for such acts, but to punish those that were not involved in that act is an injustice,” she said.

Chuma-Udeh further noted that” there are other equivalent examinations students can sit for and we have not heard of any other state that has been flagged by WAEC and Anambra state cannot be singled out for such punishment.”