my typed seminar
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/7/2019 My Typed Seminar
1/24
ABSTRACT
The centre point of this seminar paper is on incident of examination
malpractice in skill courses in Business education; causes, effect and
control.
The content of this paper have been systematically arranged to give a logical
explanation and insight on the subject matter. The study considers the
following; meaning of Business education, historical background of business
education, aims and objectives of business education, meaning of
examination malpractice, manifestation of examination malpractice in
Nigeria, factors responsible for examination malpractice, causes, agents,
forms and types, effects and control of examination malpractices.
1
-
8/7/2019 My Typed Seminar
2/24
INTRODUCTION
One of the signs of the collapse of the countrys education system is
the rampant incidence of examination malpractice. In simple parlance,
examination malpractice denote any form of fraud committed by a candidate
or someone else in order to enable a candidate pass an examination, which
under normal circumstances such a candidate would not have passed. It is
very much acknowledged that during the era of missionary and colonial
administration of education in Nigeria, the story of examination malpractice
never reared its ugly head, for both the teacher and the taught were well-
trained and disciplined with the result that business of education was
handled with utmost seriousness. Most Nigerian nationalists who embraced
the western type of education were grounded to defend the certificates they
were awarded. Even at the university level, products of these missionary
schools were exemplary in character, training and responsibility- qualities
which enable them to win independence from British in 1960.
The administrators of education in Nigeria during the missionary and
later, colonial era had a lot of hidden agenda which informed some of their
success. For example, primary schools operated in churches for closer
supervision while post-primary schools, which were mostly boarding were
deliberately distant from towns to stop the children mixing with the wrong
type of persons and getting into bad habits. It was revealed by Musaazi
2
-
8/7/2019 My Typed Seminar
3/24
(1982) that as pupils came from far away, their parents and family members
were physically remote and unable to visit or associate themselves in any
way with the life of the school. In fact, this was for fear of the influence of
the community or society.
Since the end of the Nigerian civil war in 1970, it seemed as if the dog has
been loose and wild action has become rife. There is multiplicity of
community schools and institutions perhaps to take care of yet another
problem population explosion. The result is that boundary lines between
institutions and societies have disappeared and there is unrestricted cross-
fertilization of ideas, views, information, behavior etc. To say the least, the
behaviour of adults in our society has greatly permeated every social
institution even universities. Ours is a pluralistic and permissive society
where delinquent behaviours such as cultism, cheating, stealing, fraud, a
twin brother of examination malpractices, drunkenness, prostitution,
smoking, dishonesty, lying, insubordination etc. are openly practiced and
thus perpetrated. The contact of Nigerian adults with the youths has affected
the latter and unless the adults in the society are disciplined and consistent in
behaviour, discipline in the schools will not be effective.
It is planned that at the end of the second three years of SSS 3, students
would have acquired some marketable skills to enable them become
employable or become self-employed. Rather than achieving this objective,
3
-
8/7/2019 My Typed Seminar
4/24
the system still places a lot of emphasis on academic-oriented education,
which down-plays techni8cal, vocational, agricultural and other skills
oriented aspects of education.
Technical workshops have virtually disappeared from the countrys junior
and senior secondary schools.
Also, the economy in which the society operates is so bartered and
unpredictable that there is much reliance on certificates or paper
qualifications before survival of anyone can be assured. It is this monopoly
of prestige which paper qualifications enjoy that lures most Nigerian into
committing various sorts of examination malpractices, since companies,
governments, organizations, private employers of labour and institutions, all
insist on certificate as pre-conditions for employment and admission.
To most Nigerians, cheating at examinations is no longer regarded as
something the society forbids since almost everybody in the society
student, parent, guardian, politician, school head, teacher, supervisor,
government workers including examination official. Take it to any angle; the
Nigerian society is to blame for the rampant incidence of examination
malpractice at every level of the countrys education system.
4
-
8/7/2019 My Typed Seminar
5/24
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF BUSINESS EDUCATION IN
NIGERIA
Business education in the formal sense has been in existence since the
birth of man; this is because people have been using their business skill and
knowledge informally acquired in business situation and transactions e.g.
people engage themselves in production, exchanges, storing, transportation
etc. with reference to the formal type of business education, nobody can say
actually when it started in Nigeria. It can however, traced to back to the 19 th
century when some Nigeria nationals in business partnership with overseas
experts had to learn simple commercial arithmetic, some book keeping,
business communication (Business English Vocabulary) and some typing so
as to facilitate business transactions and meet the needs of their export
markets.
The government and early missionaries contributed immensely to the
evolution of business education; they trained clerks who learn business
arithmetic and simple book keeping. Business day and evening schools were
opened by these clerks, they employed untrained teacher to teach those who
came to the institute essentially to learn typewriting, shorthand and book
keeping. Apart from these private business schools, record shows that St.
Andrew College, Oyo founded in 1859 also taught simple accounts to
5
-
8/7/2019 My Typed Seminar
6/24
teachers trainees, some of whom later on their own learnt typewriting and
shorthand during holidays.
Between 1940 and 1960, the Roman Catholic Mission established
schools for training girls as secretary. In 1955, the secondary modern
schools were introduced to give pre-vocational business training; there are
also some leading commercial secondary schools like Abboit institute
sapele, Zik college sapele, Essi college Worri, Olu-eewa college Ile-Ife,
Niger college Benin city, Premier college Yaba, Christian Secondary
Commercial College Apapa etc. in the case of post secondary institutions,
Yaba college of Technology founded in 1932 was the only institution
offering business education courses.
In the last decades, there was a big growth in the number of
institutions offering business education in Nigeria. At the university level,
the University of Nigeria (UNN) was the first, others are Ahmadu Bello
University (ABU) Zaria, Uni7versity of Benin, University of Port Harcourt
etc. at other tertiary institutions, a great number of colleges of education,
colleges of technology and polytechnics offers business education courses.
At the secondary level, all junior and senior secondary schools in Nigeria
now offer business courses because of the advent of the National Policy on
Education (NPE): A big questions arises; what do these colleges /
universities hope to achieve by running the business education programme,
6
-
8/7/2019 My Typed Seminar
7/24
-
8/7/2019 My Typed Seminar
8/24
In the general mono education as education in - business subjects. In this
respect, one can infer that business education then implies only education in
subjects like shorthand, typewriting, book-keeping, accountancy, office
practice and is aimed at helping the students to know how to use the services
provided by the business world.
Anao (1996), Osuala (1996), and Atueyi (1999) agrees that business
education is the sum total of the knowledge, skills, and aptitude that are
required not only for successfully promoting and administering a business
enterprises, but also for entry into and advancement in jobs. It includes
education for office occupations, distribution and marketing occupations,
business, teaching, business admini8stration, and basic economic
understanding.
The main objective of business education is to afford its students the
opportunity of acquiring knowledge that will make them self-reliant through
exposure to skill courses or subjects.
AIMS OF BUSINESS EDUCATION
The aims of business education are as follows;
1. Production of manpower to posses the required knowledge, skill
and attitude for harnessing other resources and bringing into a co-
8
-
8/7/2019 My Typed Seminar
9/24
operative relationship, yielding the goods and services demanded
by society for the satisfaction of their needs and wants.
2. Turning out the right caliber of work force with business ability for
positions in various sectors of the economy.
3. Provision of teachers with adequate business skills and pedagogy
needed for imparting business skills, knowledge and attitudes to
business education student in secondary and post secondary
institution.
OBJECTIVES OF BUSINESS EDUCATION IN LINE WITH THE
NATIONAL POLICY ON EDUCATION (NPE)
a. To acquire knowledge of business studies
b. To develop basic skills in office education
c. To prepare for further training in Business Education
d. To develop orientation and basic skills to start a life of work for
those who cannot go beyond the junior secondary schools
With regard to business teacher preparation, the objectives are as follows:
a. To produce qualified and competent graduates who will be able to
teach business subjects in the secondary schools.
9
-
8/7/2019 My Typed Seminar
10/24
b. To produce business Teachers who will start the so much
desired revolution of vocational development right from the
Nigerian primary and secondary schools
c. To produce Business Education who will be able to inculcate the
vocational aspects of Business Education in the society
d. To prepare society in Business Education with necessary
competencies so as to qualify them for further study in business
Education in Nigeria and
e. To equip graduate with the right skills to engage in a life work in
the office as well as for employment.
MEANING OF EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE
Examination malpractice is a common phenomenon in the Nigerian
education system not only in skill courses in Business Education. For this
reason, the issue of examination malpractice will be generally discussed.
Attempts have been made by experts to define examination malpractice from
various perspectives.
Olayinka (2003) defined examination malpractice as a misconduct or
improper practice in any examination with a view to obtaining good results
through fraudulent action.
Oluyeba and Daramola (2002) defined examination practice as an
irregular behaviour exhibited by candidates or anybody charged with the
10
-
8/7/2019 My Typed Seminar
11/24
conduct of examination in or outside the examination hall before, during or
after such examinations.
Ahmed (1993) believed that an examination malpractice is any act of
wrong doing or neglect that contravenes the rules of acceptable practices
before, during and after an examination by anybody in any way is
tantamount to malpractices.
Shonekan (2003) sees it as irregularities which are premeditated and
perpetuated by the candidate or their agents with the intention of gaining
undue advantages in the examinations.
Usman (1994) explained that, examination malpracti7ce involves various
method employed by candidates to cheat during examinations. While
Sahmans et. al. (1990) elaborates further and better that malpractice in
examination as an unlawful behaviour or activity engaged by students to
have personal advantage in an examination over their colleagues or mates
who are competing in the same examination. Onfechere (2002) accepted this
definition by further throwing more light on its illegality that it is an
unacceptable equally, an act or any acts of misconduct such as leakage,
impersonation, writing on hidden parts of the wares, encoding/decoding of
the fingers for objective tests, exchange of question papers and answer
booklets committed before, during or after the examination by either the
11
-
8/7/2019 My Typed Seminar
12/24
students taking the examination or by the officials assigned with the
administration, evaluating or measuring the examination result.
Dike (19960 from the psychological view said examination
malpractice is all forms of cheating which directly or indirectly falsely the
ability of the students.
From the above definitions and explanation, examination malpractice
can be conclusively defined as all forms of behaviour and activities which
seek to enhance the performance of student(s) which is not commensurate
with his ability.
MANIFESTATION OF EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE IN
NIGERIA
According to Adah (2007), the problem of examination malpractices
in Nigeria seems to be as old as the introduction of formal system of
education.
The first major incidence of examination malpractices was in 1914, when
the senior Cambridge local examinations leaked. This scenario took an
unprecedented surge in 1963 when two public examinations of 1967, 1977,
1981 and 1987 leaked.
Others traced the origin of examination malpractices to the wave of
cancellation of Nigerians candidate paper in 1948 because it posses on
12
-
8/7/2019 My Typed Seminar
13/24
history during the 1940 matriculation examination to the then Yaba Nigeria
Technical. The most pronounce malpractice in Nigeria in early examination
was that of 1964 that was tagged expo subsequently in 1970, 1973, 1974,
1979, 1981, 1988 and 1991 followed.
The aforementioned leakages attracted the attention of the
promulgation of decree 27 of 1973, and miscellaneous decree 20 of 1984 to
curb examination malpractices, and the later decree prescribed 21 years jail
term for offenders.
FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE
Researcher on examination malpractice had argued and contributed to
the basic factors responsible for examination malpractice in Nigeria.
Aina and Aliyu et. al. (2001) agreed in their various submissions that the
desire to pass at all cost is responsible for examination malpractice. The
facts remain that Nigerian orientation on education is certificate and high-
grade intensiveness, students, parents, school management tend to push
harder on wards to get the certificate and good grade by all means to secure
employment, and others prefer to manipulate to be admitted in a choicest
higher institutions.
All these factors according to Denga (2003) are boiled down to three factors
of:
13
-
8/7/2019 My Typed Seminar
14/24
a. Psychological
b. Environmental
c. Intelligence
a. Psychological: - this includes all the stress, which is often induced
by parent, the peer pressure, groups, and students; this they
experience enormous stress and anxiety in trying to meet the
various demand of subjects significantly. A study conducted by
Drake supported these psychological reasons, that stress and
anxiety experienced by students during examination are
conspicuous, thus, have been criticized because students tend to
develop undesirable habit which normally led them to poorly
prepare for examination(s) and subsequently exposed them in
engaging in examination malpractice and misconduct. It should be
taken that psychological tremor of failure or scoring low grade
promotes their involvement in examination malpractice.
b. Environmental Factor: this is another factor stated by Denga
(2003) that basically led students to examination malpractice, the
environment factor include the crowded nature of our classroom as
well as examination halls with few invigilators during
examination. Teachers/Lecturers inability to cover up the
stipulated syllabus, for the period been stated before an internal or
14
-
8/7/2019 My Typed Seminar
15/24
-
8/7/2019 My Typed Seminar
16/24
1. Overcrowding in the school: the number of students per
teacher is very much and it does not enhance effective
teaching and learning and the after mount of it is
examination malpractice.
2. Inadequate qualified teacher: this lapse usually lure students
into examination malpractice mostly when writing an
external examination because students taught by qualified
teacher and otherwise will be subjected to the examination
question.
3. Poor teaching-learning facilities: the equipment and
facilities needed to train students in skill courses are not
provided; those available are either poorly managed or
obsolete.
4. Lack of confidence in students: students get involved in
examination malpractice because of loss of confidence in
their ability. This could be attributable to many factors.
5. Poor preparation by students: most students get prepared for
examination on the eve of examination while some do not
prepare at all, rather, they depend on other means of
examination malpractice.
16
-
8/7/2019 My Typed Seminar
17/24
-
8/7/2019 My Typed Seminar
18/24
Some other causes of examination malpractice include non-provision of
extra curricular activities, invigilators attitude during examination, desire to
impress, fear of self-devaluation in competition and general fear of failure
among others.
AGENTS OF EXAMINATION MALPRACTICES
According to researches carried out by Aina (2001), the following are
identified as the agents of examination malpractices.
a. Parents/Guardian who buy live papers or bribe examiners or
invigilators.
b. Teachers/ Head Teachers who collect money and turn a blind eye.
c. Lazy students who do not take their studies seriously and still want
to get the best score.
d. The examiners who set and mark the papers
e. The printers of the question papers
f. Officials of the examining body, who process questions paper,
supervise printing arrangements or transport printed questions.
g. Supervisors/ invigilators at the centers
h. Government establishing schools without adequate equipment and
staffing.
i. Law enforcement agents
18
-
8/7/2019 My Typed Seminar
19/24
j. Society due to its quest for materialism.
FORMS AND TYPES OF EXAMINATION MALPRACTICES
Researches have shown that, there are various forms and types of
examination malpractice, parts of these forms according to Ogunu (2001) are
highlighted below:
i. Collusion
ii. Impersonation
iii. Smuggling of answer scripts
iv. Examination leakages
v. Mass cheating
vi. Insult/Assault on examination officials
vii. Irregular activities inside and outside the examination hall
viii. Expo
ix. Contractor
x. Dubbing
xi. Super print
xii. Microchips
xiii. Hi-tech micro computer
xiv. Networking and
19
-
8/7/2019 My Typed Seminar
20/24
xv. Refusal to submit answer script at the end of examination among
others.
EFFECTS OF EXAMINATION MALPRACTICES
a. It discourages good candidate from studying hard: good candidate
are tempted to believe if you cannot beat them, join them
especially as they see other candidates get away with their corrupt
behaviours. This behaviour may be contagious as more and more
candidates tend to join in examination malpractice. They believe
that even if they are caught, they will get away with it and the end
will justify the means.
b. Discredits certificates: employer of labour require certain skills
from their employees based on the certificates they hold. These
employers are disappointed when their employees perform grossly
below expectation. The implication is that the employers will begin
to rely more on their own tests and oral interviews than the
certificates the applicant are holding in order to employ suitable
hands. This is not only in job-seeking but even in admission
process.
c. It denies innocent students opportunity for admission: many good
students have been denied admission by the corrupt ones who
20
-
8/7/2019 My Typed Seminar
21/24
through examination malpractice have better score and grades. The
brains that could help in research and development are likely to be
thrown out or frustrated while seeking admission.
d. It decreases job efficiency: this has a serious implication on the
gross domestic products of the country. It also has effect on
general quality and standard.
e. It causes delay in the processing of examination sores and grades:
every year, many students are caught for engaging in various
examination malpractices which needs to be investigated before
results are released. Though some result are withheld pending the
determination of the cases, some are decided before results are
released. This extends processing time.
CONTROL OF EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE
The following measures could be taken to curb the problem of
examination malpractices in our institutions of learning:
1. All schools should be properly and adequately equipped
with modern teaching and learning equipment and facilities.
2. Staff salaries and fringe benefits must be paid as at when
due, so as to reduce corruption within the educational
system.
21
-
8/7/2019 My Typed Seminar
22/24
3. Sitting arrangements in the examination halls should be well
organized to eliminate or reduce examination malpractice.
4. All stake holders within the educational system must uphold
the sanctity of examinations, so that quality may be restored
to the system.
5. The government should cater for the general well-being of
her citizen by eradicating poverty.
6. The government should make teaching lucrative by
employing and retraining the best brains and fill the
shortfalls in teacher supply in our schools.
7. Government should provide the necessary instructional
infrastructural facilities adequately.
CONCLUSION
Examination malpractice is a general phenomenon which needed to be
seriously battled in order to restore the standard of education in Nigeria.
Examination malpractice is not only limited to skill courses in Business
education but a general concerns because what are attributable to
22
-
8/7/2019 My Typed Seminar
23/24
examination malpractice in Business education are also applicable to the
general education.
All the stakeholders in the educational system including the
government, parents, teachers, heads of schools and the society at large must
join hands together towards minimizing or eradicating examination
malpractice.
REFERNCES
Adah, (2007). How to curb examination malpractice. Nigeria: Sun news
publishing, October, 20.
Aina and Aliyu (2001). Promoting Examination Ethics. The challenge of a
23
-
8/7/2019 My Typed Seminar
24/24
collective responsibility. Lagos: examination ethics project
publication.
Denga, D. (2002). Educational malpractices and cultism in Nigeria. Calabar:
Rapid Educational publishers.
Maduka, (2001). Examination malpractices. Causes, Implications and
Remedies. Benin: Amik press.
Ogunu, (2001). Strategies for effective suspension of examination to curb
Examination malpractices in tertiary institutions in Nigeria
examination malpractice; causes, implication and remedies. Benin:
university of Benin publications.
Daramola, S. & Oluyeba F. (2002). Incidence and Detention of
Examination malpractices in Nigeria public Examination Ethics. The
challenge of a collective responsibility. Lagos: Exam Ethics Project
Publication.
Onfechere, I. (2002). Promoting examination malpractice ethics: the
Challenge of a collective responsibility. Lagos: examination ethics
Project.