By Francis H. Murray
The Student Union (SU) administration of Fourah Bay College (FBC) is spearheading a campaign against examination malpractice.
Officials of the Union Executive say the move is geared towards sanitizing the institution’s examination process which had been clouded with prolonged problem of cheating during exams.
SU President, Augustine Bona, embarked on a class-to-class sensitization tour in the FBC campus last week to raise awareness on the consequences of cheating during exams.
The campaign followed the installation of close circuit cameras in major examination halls on the campus by the university administration.
The college authorities say it is a way of strengthening the existing measures, to combat the surge of malpractice in exams.
Bona, during his campaign tour, told students that the act of exam malpractice had weakened the standards of the college which had a creeping effect on the human resource of the country at large.
He told Politico in an interview that as students they felt obliged to do something about the situation.
‘‘I have realized that the spate of examination malpractice is very high among our colleagues and standards have fallen in one of the greatest universities in Africa and even the world, which has deprived us from the accolade of being referred to as the Athens of West Africa,” he said.
He added: “We’re obliged as the SU administration to help in restoring those standards we were so very proud of. As students, we believe that we’re in the best place to address and talk to our colleagues to desist from obtaining undue advantage through cheating during exams.’’
Bona also said that they wanted to take their campaign beyond the college and into schools.
“We’re not just limiting this campaign on campus. We intend to do lots of public education, public lectures, symposium as well as talk shows,0” he said.
Minister of Information in the SU, Sulaiman Gbala, said the move was part of implementation of their campaign promises.
‘‘What precipitated the action of the SU government to launch this campaign was largely due to the fact that when we took over the reins of power at Fourah Bay College, in our manifesto we made it categorically clear that students should refrain from all examination malpractices. So, we’re also working with the university administration to ensure how best we could ameliorate the situation,” Gbla said.
Alex Kargbo, an Engineering student of FBC, said that he was 100% in support of the step taken by the SU administration, referring to it as a move in the interest of students.
‘‘I do believe that it’s a great step and it is in the interest of us students. Students should imbibe the culture of earning and deserving grades. Even if you get a C, as long as it is well deserved, it can be defended anywhere. I’m 100% in support of the move which I believe is geared towards minimizing malpractice during exams,” Kargbo said.
Deputy Registrar of FBC, Munda S. Lebbie, said that the SU government had their total support in the fight to curb cheating during exams.
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