Having witnessed the commencement of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) in most secondary schools nationwide, the news that the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) caught over 50 professional exam writers who specializein writing examination for candidates for a fee in the just concluded Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is alarming.
According to JAMB’s bulletin ‘JAMBULLETIN’ signed by the organization’s Head of Media and Information, Dr. Fabian Benjamin in Lagos State, it highlighted that some of the suspects caught were Master’s Degree holders and undergraduates from various universities within the country.
It is sad and upsetting to realize that the laziness and unwillingness of students to carve a niche for themselves through hard work and determination is gradually eating up the educational system in Nigeria. For many years now and while growing up, the fear of failing any paper in WAEC has always prompted students to study extra hard and put in more hours burning the mid-night candle but what do we have today? Students rely on professional examination writers to do their writing for them.
In a country where hunger and unemployment is on the rise and cheap labor is gradually becoming the order of the day, it is not surprising that some of the culprits caught were undergraduates from various tertiary institutions and Master’s degree holders. It won’t come as a surprise to many that most parents out there fail to keep an eye on their wards immediately they go off to universities but the burning question still remains: “ Who are we grooming to become leaders of tomorrow?” Are we grooming children that realize the importance of hard work and sacrifice to get the desired results or are we grooming children who are looking for the easy way out in every situation or circumstance life throws at them?
It is important for parents despite their busy schedules to constantly keep an eye on the progress of their wards and children. Know the kind of friends your child hangs around with and always teach him/her to shun any negative vice because they usually come around with grave consequences. It is better to learn from the mistakes made in failing an examination than get caught trying to cheat your way through.
At the end of the day, what most children and even some parents fail to understand is that hard work pays and like my father will always say: “Hard work does not kill instead it prepares you for greater things that lie ahead”.
