Former Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has described the active involvement of parents in examination malpractice as the most painful experience of his decade-long leadership of the examination body.
Oloyede made the revelation on Sunday during an appearance on THISDAY Live on Arise Television, just days after officially handing over the leadership of JAMB to his successor, Prof. Segun Aina.
The former registrar, who completed two terms in office, formally transferred the administration of the board to Aina on Friday, bringing an end to a ten-year tenure widely noted for technological reforms and stricter measures against examination fraud.
Reflecting on his years at JAMB, Oloyede said he was deeply disturbed by the extent to which some parents orchestrated examination malpractice for their children and wards. He described the trend as one of the greatest threats to the nation’s future, stressing that it introduces young people to criminal behaviour at an early stage.
According to him, most candidates are not naturally inclined to cheat during examinations, but are often influenced or encouraged by their parents.
“The most painful period of my experience in JAMB has to do with the level of involvement of parents in the organisation of examination malpractice,” he said.
“They are introducing their wards and children to the world of crime. I think most of the candidates are not problematic. They are not the problem. The problem is the parents.”
Oloyede explained that each time he encountered cases involving parents arranging cheating schemes, he became emotionally affected because of the long-term consequences such actions could have on society.
“Every time I was confronted with the reality of what parents are doing, most of the time, I became very emotional about it,” he stated.
“I kept asking myself how people could damage the future of their own children in such a manner. Even if you have your own shortcomings, you should never transfer them to the next generation.”
Despite the disappointment caused by examination malpractice, Oloyede described his overall service at JAMB as fulfilling and rewarding.
He noted that the board made remarkable progress during his administration, particularly through reforms aimed at improving transparency, credibility and efficiency in the conduct of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
However, he maintained that confronting parents over their role in examination fraud remained the lowest point of his tenure.
“For me, it was a fine period. The only lowest period was when I confronted parents over their involvement in planning and introducing their children and wards into crime through examination malpractice,” he added.
Speaking on the future of JAMB, Oloyede expressed confidence in the ability of his successor, Prof. Segun Aina, to further modernise the board through the deployment of more advanced technology.
He noted that Aina’s background in computer engineering would enable him to strengthen the digital innovations already introduced within the examination system and further improve the conduct of the UTME.
Oloyede said he believes the new registrar has the expertise to build on the reforms achieved during the past decade and sustain efforts to ensure a more transparent, secure and credible examination process across the country.
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