The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has called for the full adoption of computer-based testing (CBT) and stronger monitoring measures to curb examination malpractice in centres allegedly operating as “miracle centres.”
Timothy Manga, an official of the WAEC office in Makurdi, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), amid growing concerns over examination malpractice and its impact on the credibility of public examinations and academic certificates.
Manga said allegations of the existence of “miracle centres” in Benue State were becoming worrisome, although WAEC had yet to officially confirm the existence of any such centre in the state.
In the Nigerian education system, a “miracle centre” refers to an examination venue where organised malpractice is allegedly facilitated, enabling candidates to gain unauthorised assistance or access to examination answers.
Manga described the practice as a serious threat to the education system, stressing that schools should be recognised for the quality of education they provide rather than their ability to facilitate examination malpractice.
“Any system that rewards students for cheating undermines those who have worked hard to prepare for examinations.
“We need an examination system where success is determined by knowledge, preparation, and competence, not by the ability to access assistance during examinations,” he said.
He added that although WAEC had not received concrete information identifying any school in Benue as a “miracle centre,” the examination body would continue to monitor the situation.
“Though WAEC has not gotten any information on any school being a ‘miracle centre’, we would continue to put our ears to the ground in case we hear of any that we can set an example with,” Manga said.
Meanwhile, Rebecca Ezekiel, a teacher at NKST Secondary School, Makurdi, advocated the establishment of independent examination centres to reduce the influence of schools and teachers over external examinations conducted by bodies such as WAEC and the National Examinations Council (NECO).
Ezekiel said CBT would give examination bodies greater control over examination venues, personnel and security arrangements.
“Candidates should be examined under conditions that are independent of the schools where they receive instructions,” she said.
She also recommended the use of biometric verification, closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and other technological solutions to strengthen examination monitoring and prevent malpractice.
However, Jude Odeh, a school proprietor in Otukpo Local Government Area, cautioned against automatically labelling schools as “miracle centres” simply because they admit students into their final year of secondary school.
Odeh said he had heard allegations about the existence of such centres in Benue but had yet to identify any specific school operating as one.
He explained that some parents transfer their children to other schools for reasons including high examination registration fees, school fees and other financial considerations.
According to him, some schools charge examination-related fees arbitrarily, making the combined cost of school fees and external examination registration unaffordable for some parents.
Odeh, however, noted that some schools in Benue do not admit new students into Senior Secondary School Three (SS3), insisting that only students promoted from SS2 are registered for external examinations.
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