By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Nigeria Union of Teachers, (NUT), has explained why shifting to computer-based examinations by West African Examinations Council and the National Examinations Council as declared by the Federal Government will not put an end to malpractices.
The union identified the priority placed on paper qualifications as the major challenge to the nation’s education system.
The NUT National President, Audu Amba, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Abuja.
He maintained that because the society recognizes certificates and grades as an open-sesame to enviable livelihood, students, and sometimes with the support of their parents, will go the extra miles, to acquire them, even when the qualifications cannot be defended.
“We have placed more emphasis on certificate. What is your grade? What is your scores?
“Not minding the intellectual intelligence of that student.
“The students will go out of their ways to make sure that they get the marks that will give them the certificate,” he said
“We have placed more emphasis on certificate. What is your grade? What is your scores?
“Not minding the intellectual intelligence of that student.
“The students will go out of their ways to make sure that they get the marks that will give them the certificate,” he said
While buttressing his position, Amba cited the digital literacy gap among students and teachers which ought to be addressed before implementing the computer-based examinations.
He added that addressing such deficiency requires additional training programmes and resources.
“We are talking about CBT exams. Where is the light, manpower and network? You see, we have a long way to go.
“How many of our teachers in our localities are even computer literate? We don’t sit down within the city and give a directive that cannot be implemented.
“In my village, for instance, network ceases. You can’t get it until you get to a particular place, and so it is in many of our villages.
‘There are also some of our students that have not seen a computer before not to talk of operating it,” he said
The NUT president criticised the hasty implementation of the computer-based examinations, stressing that many things ought to have been addressed.
Amba’s remarks were prompted by the recent directive by the Federal Government that WAEC and NECO should fully transit to CBE for their examinations by 2026.
According to this directive, both multiple-choice and essay papers by the two bodies would be administered via computer, starting from November 2025 and continue with the May/June 2026 examination cycle.
Highlighting the reason for the switch, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, stated that the federal government’s decision was necessitated by the need to enhance efficiency and reduce malpractices.
