Write an article for publication in your school magazine on: "The evil effects of examination malpractice in our society."

THE EVIL EFFECTS OF EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE IN OUR SOCIETY

By Ada Okonkwo, SS3

Examination malpractice, popularly known as "exam cheating," has become a disturbing plague in our schools. It refers to every dishonest act committed before, during or after an examination in order to gain an unfair advantage. Common forms include smuggling prepared notes into the hall, copying from a neighbour, buying leaked question papers, and impersonation. This article examines the evil effects of this menace on the individual and on the society as a whole.

In the first place, examination malpractice destroys the value of certificates. When results no longer reflect true ability, the certificate becomes a worthless piece of paper. Employers can no longer trust that a graduate truly knows his subject, and the reputation of our schools suffers at home and abroad.

Secondly, malpractice breeds incompetence in society. A student who cheats his way through school learns nothing. When such a person later becomes a doctor, an engineer or a pilot, he endangers the lives of others through his ignorance. Half-baked professionals are a direct product of examination fraud.

Thirdly, it encourages laziness and kills hard work. Why should a pupil burn the midnight oil when he believes he can simply buy the answers? Malpractice rewards the idle and punishes the diligent, thereby destroying the spirit of honest effort that education is meant to build.

Fourthly, examination malpractice corrupts the moral character of the youth. A student who learns to cheat in the hall soon learns to lie, forge and steal in adult life. In this way the classroom, which should train honest citizens, becomes a nursery for future fraudsters.

Finally, the consequences can be ruinous to the individual. Candidates caught in the act have their results cancelled, are barred from examinations, and suffer public shame that can scar them for life.

To conclude, examination malpractice is an evil that rots the individual, the school and the nation. Parents, teachers, students and government must join hands to fight it through moral education, adequate preparation and strict punishment of offenders. Only then can the integrity of our examinations, and the future of our society, be saved.