Say no to ‘mercenaries’

• AFED president, Oji, advises schools on external exams

By Gabriel Dike

Emmanuel Oji is president, Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED), Mr. Emmanuel Oji. He advised schools preparing for external exams, the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) and Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), to engage in comprehensive revision, hire experience English and Mathematics teachers, support struggling students, avoid pitfalls and say no to hiring of “mercenaries.”

He said: “Examinations the world over are targeted at measuring knowledge input and the results become yardstick for decision making. It’s on this note one would suggest that serious attention is required on it.”

Oji’s pre-examination strategies and recommendations include:

Expected outcomes for schools

“Secondary schools should focus on providing comprehensive revision programmes, ensuring students understand the examination format and offering targeted support to struggling students. They should also maintain open communication with parents and guardians.”

Focus on English and Mathematics

“This strategy is right as English Language and General Mathematics are core subjects. All subjects are communicated in English and Mathematics helps for logical reasoning. However, schools should not neglect other subjects, ensuring students receive balanced preparation.”

Hiring experienced English and Mathematics teachers

“Hiring experienced English and Mathematics teachers can significantly enhance students’ performance. Schools should prioritise teacher training and development.”

Preparation strategies

“Schools should engage in comprehensive revision programmes, mock exams and assessments, targeted support for struggling students and encouraging students to develop effective study habits.”

Pitfalls to avoid

“Schools should avoid overemphasizing cramming and rote learning, neglecting students’ mental health and well-being and failing to provide balanced preparation across all subjects.”

Parental support

“Parents can support schools by encouraging students to develop good study habits, providing resources and materials for revision and maintaining open communication with teachers”

No to “mercenaries”

“Hiring individuals to aid students during exams is unethical and undermines the integrity of the assessment process. It’s what every stakeholder must resist.”

Advice for teachers, students

“Teachers should focus on understanding students’ strengths and weaknesses, develop targeted support strategies, encourage students to ask questions and seek help and maintain open communication with parents and guardians.

“Students should avoid procrastination and last-minute cramming; neglecting their mental health and well-being and failing to seek help when struggling with a subject or concept.”

Strict adherence to exams rules and regulations

“Examination malpractice is an albatross.Hagging a weighing heavily on our education system. It must be eschewed by all means necessary.That is one of the reasons I have called for a total overhaul of the Nigerian education system where emphasis on certificate is the order.               

“Again, it must be advised that schools must strictly follow rules and regulations guiding the conduct of external examination in order to bring sanity to the system. All these short cuts make it impossible for the society to enjoy her products of education system. Most students come out with the results, they cannot defend going forward.”