Kwara to sanction 165 schools blacklisted by WAEC over exam malpractice

The Kwara state government says it will sanction 165 schools blacklisted for examination malpractices by the West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC).

Fatimah Ahmed, the state commissioner for education and human capital development, disclosed this on Friday in a statement issued by Yakub Aliagan, the ministry’s spokesperson, in Ilorin.

The commissioner said the state government would sanction both the schools and their principals found wanting because of its zero tolerance for examination malpractice.

The move followed the blacklisting of 165 schools in the state — comprising 122 public secondary schools and 43 private schools — for exam malpractice by WAEC, alongside the payment of a fine of N250,000 each by the affected schools.

Ahmed disclosed that WAEC had forwarded the names of the schools involved to the ministry, saying the erring private and public schools would be sanctioned.

The commissioner also advised heads of both public and private institutions in the state to desist from any act that could ridicule both their schools and portray the image of the state in bad light.

She  warned the principals to desist from encouraging examination malpractice which was becoming endemic in both the private and public schools in the state.

TheCable Lifestyle had earlier reported how a similar incident played out in Delta, where the state government ordered the immediate closure of two private secondary schools while 16 teachers were sanctioned for alleged involvement in examination practices.