The rule must be broken: an integrative-anomie perspective of examination malpractice in Nigeria

摘要: The Nigerian educational system is losing its potency and viability to examination malpractice. It is against this backdrop that this paper sets out to explain examination malpractice in contemporary Nigeria as a social problem. Using the integrativeanomie perspective as our theoretical framework, the paper revealed that examination malpractice represents part of the larger rots in the Nigerian society, and is, in addition, the outcome of undue emphasis on paper qualification as a sine qua non for recruitment into the labour market. Another salient driver to examination malpractice lies in the individual character traits, especially selfishness and acquisitiveness. The policy implications of the discussion in this paper are tripartite. First, each of the constructs in anomie-institutional theory is a potential focus for examination cheat intervention. Second, multiple interventions may be required because both multiple direct and indirect paths to examination malpractice exist. Third, interventions seeking to interrupt the causal processes in the development of examination malpractice should include measures, which seek to promote processes that enhance constructs on pro-examination ethics path. These policies are without prejudice to the importance of government reviewing its policy and extant laws governing the conduct of examinations at all levels in Nigeria with a view to making it harder for defaulters to go away with the criminal behaviour.