Fresh facts have emerged on how students of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) openly devise several forms of examination malpractices, making a smokescreen of the several stringent measures put in place by the institution to stem the ugly tide. Investigations by the Daily Times showed how desperate students of the open distance learning university, craftily sidelined the check-in method adopted by the varsity to screen candidates entering examination hall, by embarking on pre- examination arrangements where question papers are purchased through organised syndicates that collude with staff that are well positioned at the varsity’s Lagos production centre, to smuggle it out to candidates. A female third year student in the Faculty of Arts who spoke to The Daily Times in Abuja on the condition of anonymity said whenever their examination periods approaches, they usually contribute money per subject to a syndicate who will gather the payments by interested students before taking it to Lagos. She further disclosed that the money paid is both for procuring live ques tion papers and solving the questions on behalf of the candidates. She added that the syndicate always collect their matriculation numbers to enable them solve the questions directly into the answer sheets, fix the candidates’ numbers and submit the answer booklets in the examination halls. On whether the situation is peculiar to the Abuja centre, our interviewee maintained that the practice is nationwide, as confirmed to her by one of the syndicates. She maintained that the process is well coordinated nationwide as candidates from the various study centres often buy into the exam leakage plans when hinted. When The Daily Times contacted the NOUN university spokesman, Mr. Ibrahim Shema, for confirmation, he denied knowledge of such practices, maintaining that the varsity has established a strong culture of malpractices’ free examination over the years. He said: ‘’It is difficult for anyone to undermine the integrity of our ex amination, considering the amount of security network that has been foisted around the whole exercise’’. Also in her reaction, the Director, Yenagoa study centre, Mrs. Grace Mosugu, said the various study centres operated by NOUN, usually go extra mile during examinations to ensure a credible and qualitative process, in line with the policy of zero tolerance to malpractices. She said: ’’We produced the university’s student’s examination guidelines and regulations into a flyer, which we shared to every student weeks before commencement of the exams. The supervision is very strict and this is very important’’. Not a few stakeholders are concerned that while the management of the National Open University is busy policing the entrances and checking the conduct of candidates inside the examination halls, the question papers are easily being smuggled out, solved and handed over to fraudulent candidates, thanks to exam syndicates.
|Daily Times
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