The Exam Ethics Marshals International has stated that 67 per cent of Nigerian private and public secondary schools operate as examination magic centres, popularly known as “miracle centres.”
It, however, encouraged parents to enforce the government’s ban on levies in public schools, by refusing to pay any illegal fees and reporting such to the authorities.
Founding Chairman of the group, Ike Onyechere, who made the revelation yesterday at a press conference in Abuja, noted that most of the ‘miracle centres’ operate as syndicates with a membership that covers the chain of critical actors in the school and examination administration process.
He said: “Research by Exam Ethics Marshals International indicates that 67 per cent of private and public secondary schools in Nigeria operate as ‘Exam Magic Centre’ or ‘miracle centres.’
“Exam magic centres thrive because parents willingly pay exorbitant fees and levies. Given the fact that exam magic ‘schools’ are interested only in the money, and not in the welfare of the children, and the fact that they are effectively laying the foundation for the eventual destruction of the future of the children, why are parents still willingly paying? The answer is in the Bible verse of Hosea 4:6 ESV. ‘My people perish for lack of knowledge’.
“This is why the core objective of this press conference is to enlighten and mobilise more parents to stop the stupidity and foolishness of funding the destruction of their children, to empower them to say no to illegal levies and to support the government to enforce the ban of levies in schools.”
