No fewer than 27 private schools have been fined for engaging in examination malpractices.

The Nation reported that the indicted institutions have been fined N500,000 each for their role in the ignoble act.

According to a statement released by the Office of Education Quality Assurance, the fines followed their complicity in examination malpractice during the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination and the Basic Education Certificate Examination.

OEQA Director-General, Mrs. Abiola Seriki-Ayeni, said that the fine served as a warning, adding that a repeat offence would lead to deregistration of the school.

Chairman of Teaching Service Commission, Mrs. Elizabeth Ariyo, who led another investigation panel of enquiry involving 19 schools, warned them against breaching government’s trust by perpetrating examination malpractice.

“A level of trust has been reposed in schools to uphold the virtues of a qualitative educational system and not continue to bring disrepute to the state ministry of education,” she said.

All indicted schools are to repeat the Whole School Evaluation and Subject Recognition Inspection process with OEQA within two years as mandated by WAEC.