School Sacks Principal Over Alleged Involvement In Exam Malpractice

AGAINST the backdrop of the recent closure of Nodos International School, Ojo, by the Lagos State government over alleged involvement in examination malpractices during a national Examinations Council (NECO) Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations, the Principal of the school (name withheld) has been relieved of his job.

A statement signed by the Proprietor of the school, Mrs. Edith N. Okafor said the Principal was disengaged after he was “found wanting in terms of effective management of the school and failure to adhere to acceptable rules of integrity and high academic standards.”

Okafor also stated that all the teaching staff that were also found complicit in the examinations malpractices that led to the closure of the school have also been asked to resign their appointments.

Okafor added: “As a woman and a mother that also wants the best for her own children and who sees all pupils and students of the school as her own children, I will first of all have to appreciate the significant efforts as made by Punch newspaper in exposing what we have also found out to be the unethical practices of some of the teachers and other staff we employed and entrusted with the responsibility of managing the school.

I personally managed the school for over 15 years. Throughout the period I was directly in charge of the management of the school, there was no incident of examination malpractice, especially such as was clearly made to look like it was condoned and facilitated by the management of the school.

We have opened our doors for continuous supervision by the Lagos State government through the Ministry of Education to ensure and establish compliance with acceptable standards of academic excellence, if and when the school is reopened.

We will also offer to bear any extra costs of external examiners and other supervisors that may be appointed by the State Ministry of Education for all internal and external examinations at Nodos International School, for the purposes of ensuring compliance and adherence to acceptable academic standards.
“While we are taking steps to replace the teachers that have been asked to resign in the wake of the incidents, I have also taken temporary charge of managing the school personally to ensure that if and when the school is reopened, we will work quickly and determinedly to return Nodos International School, Ojo, to its former glory of high academic standards and excellence.”