NECO blacklists 12 schools in Niger

Dipo Laleye, Minna - 13.02.2008

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has axed 12 secondary schools in Niger State for examination malpractices perpetrated during the last Senior Secondary School Certificate examination (SSSCE).

As a result, candidates from the schools which included one private secondary school in Minna would not be allowed to sit for this years June /July SSCE.

The schools are also banned for three years from using their institutions as examination centres for the public examination.

The Commissioner for Education in the state, Hajia Asmau Usman, who confirmed the development to newsmen at the Government House in Minna on Tuesday, said that NECO presented an answer script written by one of the teachers which was copied by candidates during the examinations.

In the script, the teacher wrote for the candidates at the top of the answer script “copy and pass”

Hajia Asmau Usman who declined to give the names of the affected schools, said they were scattered in Minna and Suleja but added that the private school involved in the problem was not based in Minna.

The commissioner said that government would move students of the affected colleges to other institutions where they would be able to sit for the final examination.

She also disclosed that principals of schools who were sent on suspension for collecting illegal fees from candidates have been recalled after the government completed investigations into their involvements in the offence.

Hajia Asmau Usman said all issues related to the offence had been clarified, saying sending them on suspension was not designed to embarrass the school heads.