Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu is advocating for the ban on the use of mobile phones in examination halls to be extended to teachers and invigilators.
According to the Minister, this extension will help safeguard the integrity of examinations and reduce cheating in schools.
Mr. Iddrisu believes some teachers who invigilate during examinations have contributed to malpractices by aiding candidates, hence the need for stricter controls to curb the anomaly.
“The idea of a student having access to phones in the examination room is a no-no. Probably, we have to even review this concept to include the usage of phones by examiners and supervisors,” he said during the swearing-in ceremony of the new National Education Inspectorate Board.
“In some instances of cheating, it may be some of them who are aiding the cheating; therefore, we have to limit who can carry a phone into an exam room,” he added.
Although Minister Iddrisu acknowledged that some examiners may need mobile phones for work-related purposes, such as calling for papers or filing reports, he advocates for limited access with strict enforcement to prevent abuse.
“I would have pronounced a complete ban on phone usage, but we have cases when examiners will have to call for exam papers or send a report. But we expect strict compliance and enforceability of this,” he added.
He stressed the need to deal with invigilators who are found aiding students during examinations to serve as a deterrence to others.
