‘The Problem Are the Parents’: Oloyede Blames Parents for Teaching Children to Cheat
Parents are being called to review the pressure they put on their children to perform well in exams because some of them are causing examination malpractices in Nigeria, according to the former Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede.
Oloyede, the registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), stated that parents were sometimes more culpable in examination fraud than the children involved, especially when the parents were the ones to commit the fraud.
He said in an interview with ThisDay Live that some parents resort to unscrupulous means to gain admission to higher institutions for their children.
The concern is not just about the rules for examinations, but also from a child development point of view. If adults encourage children to cheat, they can teach children that achievement is more important than honesty, effort and accountability.
Oloyede noted that one of the most painful experiences of his 10 years at JAMB was the involvement of parents. He said that many candidates were not the brains behind examination fraud, but rather were swayed by adults in their environment.
This raises questions about the role of families in developing children’s attitudes towards education and success. While academic success is a priority, children should also be provided with settings that promote integrity, resilience and responsible decision-making.
While in office, Oloyede increased the use of technology to help in the fight against examination malpractices, and addressed cases of impersonation and result falsification.
But surveillance and technology is not the only solution to examination malpractice. Parents, schools and education authorities can also help children to understand that failures in the classroom are not failures in the person.
In a competitive education system like Nigeria, the message of the adults is important to the children. Supporting children should not involve teaching them to win at any cost – it should be teaching them to win in an honest way.
