By Okey Alozie
Secondary school students in Imo State and their parents have cried out over the alleged high level of extortion going on in Schools especially in Senior Secondary Schools.
Information revealed that the official registration of West African Examination Council, WEAC is not upto N30,000 per student but due to greediness and wickedness some money conscious Principals over charged final year senior secondary school students who come for WAEC registration.
Many Principals as we gathered are charging more than necessary in the WAEC registration.
Last year many Principals allegedly collected more than N70,000 for registration of WAEC.
This year 2024, the greedy Principals have started their extortion again. These Principals as we gathered from reliable sources, collect and impose illegal charges on students who come for WAEC registration. Because of money, the Principals who are into sharp practices register external and SS1, SS2 students for Senior WAEC.
Good number of Principals have converted Secondary Schools to Special centres for WAEC Exams. In these schools, students pay big amount of money to register as special candidates.
The alleged Principals as we were told, employ machineries that will come and write for the students during WAEC Exams. Ara Secondary School in Ohaji Egbema LGA, Egbu Secondary School in Owerri North LGA of Imo State and other notable Schools in the past, got involved in wide spread examination malpractice and have been suffering for the act.
WAEC as we gathered de recognized over 300 Secondary Schools in Imo State because of Exam malpractices which was discovered at the marking stages.
This time, the corrupt Principals have regrouped again for special centre arrangement and extortion of students.
Our source revealed that top Management of Secondary Education Management Board (SEMB) cannot say anything against this corrupt practice because of the return that will come to the office after the Exam.
It has become cristal clear that any student who refuse to pay as special candidate, will not receive any help from Teachers and invigilators during the WAEC Exam.
Concerned Imolites are raising serious alarm against this act.
