I was reading through the questions on the popular Question & Answer website called Quora this morning when I found the question:
What happens to the future careers of the students who pass examinations by cheating?
The question got me thinking as there are lots of students that would rather cheat to get a good grade than to fail and have a chance to re-take the examination.
Reading through the answers to the question, I found one of the answers to be a disturbing truth about the education system in Nigeria.
Here Is The Answer:
A University professor wrote an expressive message to his students at the doctorate, master and bachelor levels and placed it at the entrance to a university in South Africa.
And this is the message:
Collapsing any nation does not require the use of atomic bombs or the use of long-range missiles. It only requires lowering the quality of education and allowing cheating in the examinations by the students.
- The patient dies in the hands of the doctor who passed his exams through cheating.
- And the buildings collapse in the hands of an engineer who passed his exams through cheating.
- And the money is lost in the hands of an accountant who passed his exams through cheating.
- And humanity dies in the hands of a religious scholar who passed his exams through cheating.
- And justice is lost in the hands of a judge who passed his exams through cheating.
- And ignorance is rampant in the minds of children who are under the care of a teacher who passed exams through cheating.
"The collapse of education is the collapse of the nation"*☹
The answer above got me thinking seriously. So many of those things are already happening in Nigeria. We have quacks everywhere, even in key positions in the Government.
Today, the question and answer make me understand the grave consequences of examination malpractice to any Nation. I kept asking myself this simple question:
Is Nigeria Gradually Collapsing?
Wow, this is a seriously scary thought. I teach at a 2-year college in the US, and academic honesty/integrity seems to be something that a lot of academics pay lip-service to but don't necessarily work to ensure. I think I might be making reference to the Hedges quote and the professor's answer when I give my next lecture on plagiarism.
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I will not disagree with you that we do not have the challenge of examination malpractice in Nigeria. However, I want you know, my dear brother, @lucashunter, that it also exists in this country where I reside at the moment. They may not like to read my comment, but I will stand by the truth. Let me share a little about myself. I am from Esan tribe, Edo State, Nigeria. Born and raised in Delta State. My parents were both tutors/lecturers (as we call them back home in Nigeria) at Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, until they retired meritoriously. My dad, Dr. Felix E. Aburime (Assoc. Prof.)at a time was the head of mathematics department. He was very strict to the extent that his students knew him better than to mess with him. We, his children, were not spared from the training he gave his students. My father NEVER CONDONED EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE. He always told his students that it was better they failed honorably than pass without meriting it by cheating. Whatever he told his students, he told us his children as well. I remember when I was about to leave home for college (University), in 1995, my father told me that if I forget our family values and go and get involved in examination malpractice, he will personally support the university authority to deal with me as they please. I know that my father doesn't joke with such things and had to conduct myself by complying with the rules of the 2 universities I attended (Madonna University first and then Enugu State University of Science and Technology). I also recall when I was a masters student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukksa (UNN), my mentor (supervisor) use to tell me to go and supervise undergraduate exams (Biochemistry), Some students, who attempted cheating, knew what I did to them. Now, I am a doctoral student at the University of Belgrade, School of Medicine. It might shock you to know that some students cheat here as well. Among my course mates, I am the only one who is not a physician (medical doctor). To my utter disappointment, during an examination that we had, one of us (an assistant tutor) went right into her office to get her notes. She was just cheating with impunity. Guess what? She had '10' in that course from cheating. I had a '9' with integrity and happy about it. Since then, it dawned on me that examination malpractice is not only a challenge in Nigeria, but an international challenge. Thanks for sharing! Upvoted and resteemed your post. Keep the posts coming. STEEM ON!
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Thank goodness for the internet and archives, I Just read from my fathers curriculum vitae archived at http://archive.li/XCppd , that he was Chairman, Examination Malpractices Committee, Bendel State University, Abraka Campus - Dec. 1985 - Sept. 1987 . No wonder! The thought of WHAT HAPPENS TO THE FUTURE CAREER OF THE STUDENTS WHO PASS EXAMINATIONS BY CHEATING is frightening. However, we can do the little we can by discouraging such actions. That is the point I am trying to make and my submission.
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There is a lot of ways we can improve the quality of education. It is important to build the desire and love for learning within the student that they may become more excited and curious to understand and uncover new truth.
Best,
Isaac
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