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THE IMPACT OF INCREASED SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL EXAMINATION BODIES IN NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STDY

The West African Examination Council {WAEC} was established in 1952. The birth of the council can be traced another   four years before to 1948, when the British colonial administrations discuss with the West African. Department of education the necessity for examination suited to the needs of West African.  Following this was a sequence of events, which led to the eventual establishment of WAEC. For nearly thirty years, the council monopolize the conduct of public examinations in Nigeria, till 1977 when it was found wanting and the conclusion has that it was over loaded with responsibility. A number of commissioner committees and panels were set up which led to shedding WAEC of some of the examination it conducts. Among the examination boards resulting from this modifications of the control and conduct of public examinations include the National Examination Council (NECO) and the national business and technical examination board (NABTEB).

According to Ojerinde (2000) said that NECO has been given the responsibility to conduct the senior secondary certificate examination (SSCE) along side WAEC for May/June school candidates. While NABTEB conducts the National Technical Certificate (NCT) and National Business Certificate (NBC) Examination for school and private candidates. The researcher observed this development and recognized that each of these examinations led to the award of certificate which functions as basic requirement for admission into tertiary institutions. On recognition of this fact and consideration of the demand for certificate to serve for tertiary institution admission requirement the researcher observed that there would be competition among these three-examination board.

Also, Onofume O. S. (1993) said that there is competition over the available students seeking school leaving certificate for admission into tertiary institution. The factor really facing this competitiveness is the fact that there are limited resources (money) on the part of the potential candidates, creating the necessity of choice. According to Olniyan A. B. (1986) observed that this involvement of choice leads to competitiveness which could be seen from several advantageous points but may be open to several disadvantages. The WAEC had many problems and corruption ate deep into its management. These problems are bound to arise in the other examination bodies and with this competition; the researcher foresees the possibility of further determination rather than improvement or compromise of standards disguised as innovation to meet the needs of the nation. It is against the backup of the above and to fully investigate the possibility of compromise of standard of operation of these examination bodies that the researcher has undertaken the study. 

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The researcher is undertaking a study, which examines the possibility of a deep in standards in examination bodies (WAEC, NECO and NABTEB), which conduct secondary school leaving examination and award certificate used as entry requirement into tertiary institutions. The problem is drawn from the competition among the three examination bodies as they interact with the students demand requirements of suitability of school leaving examination and the limited resources of the student’s body.

The basic question to be answered in the study is can the interaction of demand requirements of students for school leaving examination with the competition and modes of operating of the examination bodies lead to compromise of standards of these examination bodies and the examination they conduct.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The researcher attempts a methodical investigation into the affairs of WAEC, NECO and NABTEB in a bid to discover the possibility of the competition for candidate from the Nigerian students body to lead to a compromise and deep in their standards of operation and examinations. Specifically the research aims to:

v   Establish the nature of demand for the secondary school leaving certificate by candidate

v   The nature of competition among the examination bodies

v   Possibility of a fall in the standard maintained by the examination bodies. 

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The researcher addresses the problems with certain key questions to guide the investigation. The questions posed by the researcher are:

1.   Do students undertake school leaving examination more for the purpose of certification than university admission?

2.    Do students patronize the examination boards most likely towards them good results, irrespective of higher cost of enrolment or standard maintained by the body?

3.     Does students patronizes the easiest secondary school leaving examination?

4.     Does the increase of examination bodies necessitate a fight for available candidates?

5.      Does competition among the three examination bodies not possibly lead to a compromise in standards and operation?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The findings of this study would be immensely beneficial to a number of stakeholders of the evaluation process through the secondary school leaving examination. First of all, the examination bodies themselves will be timely informed through the findings of the study, the likely danger that may befall their operations if not properly checked.  The authorities in charge will be advised by recommendations made, in the direction of prophylactic measures employed to avert the situation.

Tertiary institutions will be enlightened on the likely dangers presented by the acceptance of difference certifications as admission by requirement and their (tertiary institutional role in correcting such problems. The general public will be advice by the findings of the study on the costs of possible improvement in services on the part of the different examination bodies. The research would also function as useful resources of policy innovations and suggestion for further research.

SCOPE/DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY   

This study focuses on the possible fall in the standards maintained by the secondary school leaving examination bodies in Nigeria. The study is limited to checking the demand for the certificate awarded for achievement in these examinations. This is done by checking factors as the level of difficult and use of results as certification of secondary schooling or as university admission requirements. The scope of the study terminates at the consideration of some standard and operations f the examination bodies. This in opinion of the researcher will allow projection of the possible compromise in standards that will occur.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

          For avoidance of any misconceptions of errors, the following terms are defined as used in the research.

1.            WAEC: west Africa examination council

2.            NECO: National Examination Council

3.            NABTEB: National Business and Technical Examination Board. 

4.            S. L. E: School Leaving Examination

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