The Anambra State Government has warned principals of public secondary schools to enforce discipline and uphold examination standards or risk being removed from office.
The Commissioner for Education, Dr. Ekene Ogugua, issued the warning during an unscheduled inspection of Igwebuike Grammar School, Awka, and Community Secondary School, Okpuno, to assess compliance with examination guidelines during the ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations.
Dr. Ogugua expressed concern over what he described as poor discipline among students and staff, warning against the growing trend of public schools being used as centres for examination malpractice.
At Igwebuike Grammar School, the commissioner observed students loitering around the school premises instead of preparing for their examinations and criticised the school management for failing to maintain order.
He also described the examination environment as unsuitable, noting that the examination hall was untidy and failed to meet acceptable standards.
The commissioner warned that principals who fail to align with the state government’s education reforms and maintain discipline in their schools would be relieved of their appointments.
During the visit to Community Secondary School, Okpuno, Dr. Ogugua observed that the NECO examination had not commenced at the scheduled time due to the late arrival of supervisors, while some students were seen outside the school premises.
Responding, the school’s principal, Mrs. Osigwe, explained that the students outside were Junior Secondary School pupils who had completed one examination paper and were waiting for the next.
She also appealed to the state government to provide additional classroom blocks to accommodate the increasing student population resulting from the state’s free education policy.
Dr. Ogugua said the monitoring exercise forms part of the government’s efforts to eliminate examination malpractice, improve accountability and preserve the integrity of the education system.
He added that the Ministry of Education would continue conducting unscheduled inspections during internal and external examinations to ensure strict compliance with established standards across public schools.
