1. Since Implementation of Legislation by Government and Other Agencies: In the past and even recently, decrees, laws, edicts (Decree No. 27 of 1973, Special Tribunal (Miscellaneous Offences) Act Cap 410, Examination Malpractice Act No. 33 of 1999) have been promulgated and enacted with sanctions and penalties spelt out for offenders and participants in examination malpractice. But these penalties have not been effectively enforced by the authorities and bodies initiating them because of the Nigerian factor. In addition, these laws lack institutional framework for their implementation of their provisions (Orbin, 2006). Since earlier approaches have not curbed examination malpractices,
the writer is of the view that a more pragmatic approach to the problem should be adopted. Experience in the fight against corruption in Nigeria has shown that only the creation of a special commission (such as ICPC and EFCC) can address adequately this crisis facing the education sector. To this end, an Examination Malpractice Commission should be created to address this social malaise. According to Orbin (2006), such a body should be independent and empowered to have its team of investigators and prosecutors. In order to facilitate its quick dispensation of justice, a schedule of rules should be made to side tract the prevailing procedural rules that often lead to inordinate delays. In addition, such a body should be independent, devoid of government interference, and provision for its funding backed by law.
2. Empowerment of Teachers: Teachers cannot provide experience and activities that guide students’ progress towards understanding of ideas if they themselves do not know what these ideas are: neither can they provide experiences that challenge students’ understanding if they themselves share the same misunderstanding. The implication of this is that greater emphasis should now be placed on teacher professional development within a whole school development or improvement strategy alongside a greater focus on curriculum, instruction and performance standard of pupils (Badmus, 2006). Such programmes should be funded by government agencies and mounted by suitable learning units/centres. Teachers’ continuing education programme must be linked to curriculum change and practices that can influence learners’ achievement. Teacher empowerment should not be limited to professional development alone; it should cover his reward system and job environment. A special welfare scheme should be introduced for teachers at all levels. In fact, teachers should have a robust salary structure. In addition to this, his job environment should be enlarged and enriched to make his job interesting and worthwhile. These put together will enhance the teacher’s image and commitment to his job.
3. Less Emphasis on Certificates and Paper Qualification: Nigeria’s education system is largely certificate oriented. So much value and emphasis are placed on certificates instead of knowledge, skills, and competence. According to Nwadiani (2005), the market place value and reward for the level and face value quality of certificates promote tendencies for and acts of cheating in the process of certification. Many school leavers and drop outs have certificates without knowledge and skills. Most of the social maladies like manufacture and sale of fake drugs by pharmacists, collapse of buildings, massive fraud in banks and miscarriage of justice are consequences of over emphasis and value of certificates. And if this trend is allowed to continue, the country will end up with doctors who cannot differentiate between vein and artery, lawyers who cannot differentiate between an accused person and the complainant and teachers who may not be able to spell the names of their schools correctly (Orbin, 2006). It is high time the nation took certificates no more as passport to jobs or higher education; more emphasis should be placed on the competence and skill acquisition. The implication of this is that assessment of students should no longer be based on the almighty examination; rather, it should be continuous from the very first day at school to the very last day. Continuous assessment should be properly implemented. In addition, there should be re-orientation in the value system of the country.
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