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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Crime & Justice

Imo cracks down on ‘result sorting’

From The Punch · (5m ago) English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The Imo State Government is cracking down on examination malpractice, specifically the 'sorting' of results, where outcomes are manipulated for money or favors.
  • The Commissioner of Education announced a ban on illegal demands by principals, including requests for commodities like shovels and cutlasses for admission, and provided phone numbers for reporting such extortion.
  • The crackdown also targets illegal private schools and aims to enhance academic standards, curb malpractice, and restore credibility to assessments, with early data showing higher pass rates.

The Imo State Government is taking decisive action to sanitize the education sector, demonstrating a firm commitment to upholding academic integrity and protecting parents from extortion.

A strict crackdown on examination malpractice, including the illicit ‘sorting’ of results by secondary school students and parents, is ongoing.

— Prof. B.T.O. IkegwuohaDisclosing the government's stance on examination malpractice.

The Commissioner for Education, Prof. B.T.O. Ikegwuoha, has initiated a strict crackdown on examination malpractice, particularly the illicit 'sorting' of results which undermines the fairness and credibility of our schools. This practice, where examination outcomes are manipulated through financial inducements, has no place in our educational institutions.

Furthermore, the government is addressing the unacceptable practice of principals making illegal demands on parents seeking admission for their children. Reports of demands for items such as shovels and cutlasses as conditions for admission are deeply concerning and have been banned with immediate effect. To ensure accountability, dedicated phone lines have been established for citizens to report any untoward activities by school heads.

I have gone on undercover visits to schools and discovered rampant illegal cash collections by principals, including extortionate charges and demands for commodities like shovels and cutlasses, among others, as conditions for admission. These practices have been banned with immediate effect.

— Prof. B.T.O. IkegwuohaAnnouncing the ban on illegal demands by school principals.

This comprehensive approach includes a crackdown on illegal private schools operating without proper approval and a joint inter-departmental monitoring team is actively working to ensure compliance. The Ministry of Education has already recorded significant successes in enhancing academic standards, curbing malpractice, and restoring confidence in our assessment systems. Early data indicating higher pass rates are a testament to these efforts, signaling a brighter future for education in Imo State.

There was an ongoing war against illegal operators and extortionists within the education sector.

— Prof. B.T.O. IkegwuohaDescribing the scope of the government's enforcement actions.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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