NECO invites 40 schools over mass cheating in SSCE

The National Examination Council (NECO) announced on Thursday that it will be inviting and interrogating the management of 40 secondary schools across 17 states for alleged mass cheating in this year’s Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).

NECO Registrar Prof. Dantani Wushishi disclosed this at a press conference in Minna, Niger State capital, where he announced the release of the 2024 SSCE results.

Wushishi announced that 8,437 candidates were found to be involved in various forms of malpractice, compared to 12,030 in 2023, showing a reduction of 30.1 per cent.

He said all the schools involved in cheating would be invited to the council for discussion, after which appropriate sanctions would be applied.

He also revealed that one school in Ekiti was recommended for de-registration for mass cheating in two core subjects.

“During the conduct of the 2024 Senior School Certificate Examinations, 40 schools were found to have been involved in whole-school (mass) cheating in 17 states. They will be invited to the council for discussion, after which appropriate sanctions will be applied.

“One school in Ekiti State was recommended for de-recognition for mass cheating in two core subjects and one science subject.

“Similarly, 21 supervisors were recommended for blacklisting due to poor supervision, aiding and abetting, abscondment, extortion, drunkenness, and negligence in 12 states,” he said.

Meanwhile, more than 60 percent of candidates who sat for the 2024 NECO SSCE passed with English Language and Mathematics.

Wushishi gave a breakdown of the candidates’ performance as follows: “The number of candidates registered for the examination is 1,376,423, comprising 706,950 males and 669,473 females.

“The number of candidates who sat for the exam is 1,367,736, comprising 702,112 males and 665,624 females.

“The number of candidates with five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics, is 828,824, representing 60.55 percent.

“The number of candidates with five credits and above, irrespective of English and Mathematics, is 1,147,597, representing 83.90 percent.”