NECO Summons 40 Schools For Mass Cheating Allegations In SSCE
The National Examination Council (NECO) has announced its intention to interrogate the management of 40 secondary schools across 17 states in Nigeria, following allegations of widespread cheating during the 2024 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE). This was revealed by NECO’s Registrar, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, during a press conference held in Minna, Niger State, where the results of the 2024 SSCE were officially released.
Prof. Wushishi disclosed that 8,437 candidates were implicated in various forms of examination malpractice during the 2024 SSCE. Although this represents a decrease of 30.1% compared to the 12,030 cases reported in 2023, the figure remains concerning. NECO, in response, is moving to address the issue by holding accountable the schools involved in these unethical practices.
Among the implicated schools, one located in Ekiti State stands out. This school was recommended for de-registration due to mass cheating in two core subjects. According to Wushishi, “During the conduct of the 2024 Senior School Certificate Examinations, 40 schools were found to have been involved in whole-school (mass) cheating in 17 states. They will be invited to the council for discussion, after which appropriate sanctions will be applied.” This move signifies NECO’s commitment to restoring the integrity of its examination process by scrutinizing schools that engage in systematic cheating.
In addition to penalizing the schools, 21 examination supervisors were recommended for blacklisting due to their involvement in aiding malpractice. These supervisors were accused of poor supervision, abetting cheating, absconding from duties, extortion, and in some instances, drunkenness. These offenses were reported across 12 states and highlight the systemic challenges in maintaining examination standards in some regions.
