Abia Govt to withdraw licenses of schools delisted by WAEC for exam malpractice

The West African Examination Council, WAEC, has delisted a number of secondary schools in Abia State from participating in the regional body’s exams over involvement in examination malpractice.

The Commissioner for Education, Professor Uche Eme Uche, who made this disclosure while briefing newsmen in Umuahia, said the state had just been informed by the exam body about the development.

Although she failed to disclose the affected schools, the commissioner said they were mostly private schools.

The commissioner, who frowned at any act capable of tarnishing the image of the state, said the operational licenses of the affected schools would be withdrawn as a deterrent to others.

She noted that the state supported the action taken by WAEC as it would help halt the bastardization and lowering of academic standards in schools by some dubious operators.

Uche disclosed that the state government had previously shut down some of the affected schools due to their unwholesome practices, regretting that instead of heeding the warnings, they continued to cut corners.

Earlier, Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, said that Governor Alex Otti had approved the immediate renovation of 170 primary and 51 public secondary schools across the state.

He said 10 primary and three secondary schools would be selected from each of the 17 Local Government Areas in the state.