Private school owners in the country have taken a swipe at the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) for consistently accusing them of aiding examination malpractice and other sharp practices, particularly in its school-based May June West African Senior School Certificate Examination(WASSCE).
They said WAEC is not being fair but discriminating in its claim as cases of malpractice are also being recorded in public schools.
They said even though private schools are not at anytime supporting examination malpractice and will never do so in both external and internal exams, WAEC should not make it looks as if cases of exam malpractice is restricted to private schools.
WAEC had expressed concern over lingering malpractice in the country, blaming the societal challenge not on public or private schools alone but also on students, teachers, principals, operators of the so-called miracle centres, and dubious websites, the exam officials, as well as parents and urged all to join hands in the fight against the menace.
But speaking in an interview when his reaction was sought over the accusation that the rate of exam malpractice is high in private schools, the National President of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Yomi Otubela, said private schools have always been the target of WAEC about “its inability to conduct exams.”
He queried whether private schools are supervisors in charge of WAEC exams or the ones determining rules and regulations guiding the conduct of candidates and exam officials.
He also asked if all those found culpable of rules infringement in its exam are strictly from private schools with none from public schools.
He said he is aware that malpractice cases are also being recorded in public schools but would hardly WAEC talk about them.
“So, why should WAEC leave out public schools in such an accusation,” he further queried, even as he urged the examination body to stop passing its responsibility to conduct malpractice-free exams to a third party.
On the late registration of candidates for the school-based exams, which WAEC also blamed private schools for being fond of, the NAPPS boss said WAEC is also goofed on.
Otubela said WAEC has the liberty, just like every other examination body around the world, to decide candidates’ registration deadlines and adhere strictly to them.
He said, so, WAEC claiming that private schools are the ones that always prolong the registration deadline and calling for an extension now and then is untenable.
According to him, WAEC should be able to go by its own set rules and regulations, including the time -frame for registration, and stop blaming private schools for everything.