Education

Body Decries Uniformed Personnel For Public Exams

Published

15 years ago

July 5, 2010

Exam Ethics International has decried the deployment of uniformed personnel for the conduct of public examinations as a “dangerous trend that undermines the growth of education in the country”.

The Chairman, Exam Ethics International, Mr Ike Onyechere, told news in Abuja that the agency was in support of a recent decision by the Edo State Government to disallow the use of uniformed officers to supervise the ongoing NECO examinations.

“We are fully in support of Edo State Governemnt’s decision on the issue,” he said.

Our correspondent reports that the Edo State Ministry of Education had on June 17 disallowed the use of officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) as supervisors for the NECO examinations.

In its reaction to the decision on June 20, NECO’s governing board suspended the conduct of the examinations in Edo, alleging some irregularities.

It also accused the state govrnment of trying to usurp its powers in the conduct of examinations.

The face-off was, however, later resolved at a meeting between officials of National Examination Council (NECO) and the state government, resulting in the lifting of the suspension on the conduct of the examinations.

Onyechere said: “It is a standard operating procedure all over the world that uniformed military personnel are not allowed into examination halls that involve civilians.

“Even when candidates for such examinations are uniformed personnel, they must enter the hall in mufti.

“It is a global convention in view of the fact that other candidates are usually distracted and intimidated by the presence of uniformed officers in examination halls. It dramatically increases the anxiety level of the candidates.’’

He explained that military or paramilitary officers are, by the nature of their training, temperament and command structure, not suited for the role of supervision and invigilation of civilian examinations.

Onyechere said the decision by NECO to suspend its examinations in Edo State was a “cheap blackmail’’ and wrong decision that had dire consequences.

He said NECO did not have the capacity and human resources to organise its examinations without the support and collaboration of state governments.

“With less than 2,000 personnel, NECO cannot possibly supervise and invigilate examinations in more than 10,000 secondary schools across the country.

“It needs the support of state governments in the provision of exam halls, facilities and human resources,’’ he added.

Onyechere urged the Federal Government to confirm if the use of civil defence officials in the conduct of examinations was now an established policy.

He said it was important to know if the NSCDC now had the full responsibility of monitoring and supervising examinations, and the extent it could be held responsible for any operational lapses when they occurred.

“These and many more are some of the questions that need to be answered before a major decision that affects the future of children can be taken.

“The attempt by NECO to paint Edo State Government as a supporter of exam fraud is very unfortunate.

“We wish to state without fear of contradiction that Governor Adams Oshiomhole is one of the most ethics-friendly governors in Nigeria.

“He is one of the few governors who have taken serious action to sanitise the education sector,’’ he added.

Education

Rivers NYSC Cordinator task corps members on peace building

Published

1 week ago

December 8, 2025

The Tide

Corps Members have been urged to use the rich cultural heritage of Nigerians to promote peace in the state and country at large.

The Rivers State Coordinator of NYSC Mr. Moses Oleghe gave the charge during the inter-platoon cultural carnival competition for 2025 Batch C Corps Members deployed to the State orientation camp, Nonwa-Gbam Tai held over the weekend.

Oleghe while addressing the Corps Members, further charged them to be a “source of light in their host communities,” noting that the “symbolic lighting of the cultural carnival torch means that every Corps Member must be the light that dispels darkness.”

He urged them to integrate and internalize the culture of the people of their area where they serve, strengthen cultural practices that promote human dignity, rights, and respect.”

The radiant and colorful event witnessed the regeneration and rebirth of various ethnic cultures by the Corps Members.

At the end of the competition, 4 platoon was adjudged the overall best, 9 platoon 2nd and 6 platoon 3rd.

Education

RSU Best Graduating Student Makes Case for Absorption of Graduates

Published

1 week ago

December 8, 2025

The Tide

Miss Chukwuka Christabel Chidnma, one of the best overall graduating students of Rivers State University (RSU), Nkpolu/Oroworukwu, Port Harcourt, has advocated for the retention of the best graduating students of the institution to fill the gap in teaching staff in the institution.

Chidnma, who was adjudged the overall best graduating student of the class of 2023/2024 academic session in the just-concluded 37th and 38th combined convocation ceremony of the university, had a CGPA of 4.88 from the Department of Theatre and Film Studies in the Faculty of Humanities.

She made the call while delivering her valedictory speech at the awards of the first degree on Saturday, saying the call becomes imperative to ensure that the department and the university at large continue to thrive and maintain academic standards.

She opined that she and her colleagues would be eager to contribute to the workforce of the development and the school in general, in whatever capacity the institution may deem appropriate, to bring their skills, training, and passion to support its continued growth and excellence.

The overall best graduating student decried the enormous challenges lecturers of the department and the university as a whole are facing due to limited manpower and appealed to the university management to also employ professional producers and technical personnel.

She recounted the experiences and challenges she faced during her years of academic studies, noting that resilience, hard work, determination, and being focused were the bedrock of her success.

She dedicated the award to her parents for their untiring efforts in ensuring that her academic fortunes were not cut short.

By: Akujobi Amadi

Education

Students Free to Choose Any WAEC Subjects of Their Choices – FG

Published

1 week ago

December 8, 2025

The Tide

The Federal Government has reaffirmed that senior secondary school students whether in arts, commercial or science classes are free to register any approved subject of their choice for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), as confusion over the revised curriculum continues to generate debate across the country.

The clarification came in a press statement issued on Saturday and signed by Boriowo Folashade, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, following widespread misinformation circulating on social media and within some schools.

According to the ministry, contrary to claims that students must strictly remain within their designated subject tracks, “there is no restriction or exclusion attached to the selection of any approved subject under the Senior Secondary School Curriculum.”

Officials said the curriculum was intentionally designed to be flexible, student-centred and supportive of diverse academic and career interests.

Under the guidance, science students may select subjects traditionally grouped under the arts or social sciences, just as arts and commercial students may choose science-designated subjects provided such choices are supervised by school authorities, parents or certified counsellors.

The ministry also clarified public concerns surrounding the subject formerly known as Information and Communication Technology (ICT), confirming it has been renamed Digital Technology.

The statement emphasised that the change is purely in nomenclature and does not alter the curriculum content or disadvantage students who previously took ICT in school.

Regarding Trade Subjects, the ministry noted that six trades have been approved under the curriculum.

Students may register any of these trades only if the subjects are offered by their schools and they have been taught them. However, the government stressed that students who have never been exposed to any of the six trade subjects are under no obligation to register one as a third subject.

This clarification comes as WAEC registration for the 2026 examination cycle continues nationwide. WAEC recently urged schools to ensure accurate subject entries before the January deadline, warning that mistakes in registration especially in subject combinations have increasingly led to withheld or invalid results in previous years.

The announcement also aligns with ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s education sector. Earlier this year, the ministry began rolling out teacher retraining and digital learning initiatives aimed at boosting performance in core WAEC subjects, following several exam cycles that showed inconsistent pass rates in mathematics and English.

Nigerian universities often require specific subject combinations for competitive courses such as medicine, engineering, law, accounting and mass communication.

The ministry urged the public to rely solely on verified information, noting that misinformation remains a major challenge during examination cycles. It said further updates will be issued as reforms continue across the senior secondary school system