Author

  • Chux Gervase Iwu

    • Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa
    • South Africa

Abstract

This paper, based on scholarly as well as documentary evidence, intends to highlight the socioeconomic implications of fraud and assessment irregularities in South Africa’s higher education. Higher education institutions serve nation building purposes and as such it is expected that what they produce should be of high standard in order to further this purpose. Lately, owing to the rise in assessment malpractices across South African institutions of higher learning, calls have been made by business and society for ways to deal with this. This paper asks a few questions related to what constitutes fraud and assessment irregularities and the sources of these. The paper also points out what these portend for higher education in South Africa while at the same suggesting some recommendations. This paper contributes to the literature on the growing concerns of educators and researchers regarding high levels of examination malpractice and assessment irregularities within higher education sector globally, but in particular South Africa.

Keywords

References

  • Akaranga, S. I. & Ongong, J. J. (2013). The phenomenon of examination malpractice: an example of Nairobi and Kenyatta Universities. Journal of Education and Practice, 4(18), 87-97.
  • Alston, P. J. (2018). Turning around a dysfunctional school: an auto-ethnography (Master’s Degree Dissertation, University of Pretoria).
  • Archer, W. & Davison, J. (2008). Graduate employability. The Council for Industry and Higher Education, London.
  • Beattie, G., Laliberté, J. W. P., Michaud-Leclerc, C. & Oreopoulos, P. (2019). What sets college thrives and divers apart? A contrast in study habits, attitudes, and mental health. Economics Letters, 178, 50-53.
  • Cornelius-Ukpepi, B. U. (2015). We’ve got to do better: exam malpractice as a barrier to literacy for good governance and democratic leadership in Cross River State, Nigeria.
  • Coughlan, S. (2013). Corruption and bribery in the classroom.
  • Cozijn, R. (2017). https://universonline.nl/2017/12/06/exam-preparation-exam-fraud. Accessed September 11, 2019.
  • Dada, J. A., Udoaka, E. E. & Dada, E. O. (2013). The imperative of good governance for sustainable democracy in Nigeria. African Journal of Social Science, 3(2), 45-60.
  • Dimkpa, D. I. (2011). Prevalence, causes and effects of academic corruption in Rivers State Universities, Nigeria. Makerere Journal of Higher Education, 3(1), 33-44.
  • Fasasi Y. A. (2006). Quality assurance: a practical solution to examination malpractices in Nigerian secondary schools, International Journal of Africa and African American Studies, 5(2), 15-21.
  • Hannaway, D., Govender, P., Marais, P. & Meier, C. (2019). Growing early childhood education teachers in rural areas, Africa Education Review, 16(3), 36-53.
  • Harvard Medical School. (2018). Working later in life can pay off in more than just income. Available online at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/working-later-in-life-can-pay-off-in-morethan-just-income. Accessed September 20, 2019.
  • Hultberg, P., Calonge, D. S. & Kim, S. H. (2017). Education policy in South Korea: A contemporary model of human capital accumulation? Cogent Economics & Finance, 5(1), 1389804.
  • Idoniboye-Obu, S. A. (2015). Corruption in higher education in Nigeria: prevalence, structures and patterns among students of higher education institutions in Nigeria. Unpublished Doctoral dissertation, University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
  • Iwu, C. G., Mandyoli, B. & Magoda, Z. (2018). Strengthening graduate employability in a developing economy through social entrepreneurs. In Entrepreneurship Education. Opportunities, challenges and future directions. Isaac Oluwajoba Abereijo, I.O. (Ed.). Nova Science Publishers.
  • Jenkins, C. (2011). University of Wales degree and visa scam exposed by BBC. Available online at: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-15171830. Accessed 19 August, 2018.
  • Jubril, M. (2010, November 2). Corruption in academia has increased failure. The Punch, 17(20), 730-44.
  • Kellaghan, T. & Greaney, V. (2001). Using assessment to improve the quality of education. UNESCO, International Institute for Educational Planning.
  • Klaaren, J. (2010). Constitutional citizenship in South Africa. International Journal of Constitutional Law, 8(1), 94-110.
  • Klaaren, J. (2019). From prohibited immigrants to citizens: the origins of citizenship and nationality in South Africa. South African Journal on Human Rights, 35(1), 124-127.
  • Maqhina, M. (2018). https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/shock-increase-in-fake-credentials-18264458. Accessed September 11, 2019.
  • Mbaka, J. (2016). MP aspirants must have degrees before 2017 general election. Available online at: https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016-12-01-mp-aspirants-must-have-degrees-before-2017-general-election/. Accessed 19 August, 2018.
  • Mfaco, B. (2015). The students are alone in this struggle. Available online at: https://www.news24.com/xArchive/Voices/the-students-are-alone-in-this-struggle-20180719. Accessed September 20, 2019.
  • Mphahele, M. J. (2019). https://www.iol.co.za/mercury/news/fraudulent-qualifications-spark-push-forlegislation-19061337. Accessed September 11, 2019
  • [email protected]. (2013). Higher Learning Commission's decision on Dickinson State accreditation unknown.
  • News24. (2012). How to fix SA’s education system. Available online at: https://www.news24.com/MyNews24/How-to-fix-SAs-education-system-20121106. Accessed September 20, 2012.
  • Obadire, O. S. (2018). Towards a sustainable anti-xenophobic rural-based university campus in South Africa. South African Journal of Higher Education, 32(4), 186-198.
  • Okesina, F. A. (2019). Causes of Poor Study Habits of Students as Expressed by Primary School Teachers in Nigeria. Mimbar Sekolah Dasar, 6(1), 1-10.
  • Okoh, E. E. (2014). Perceptional evaluation of the causes and effects of examination malpractice among college of education students in Delta State. African Journal of Education and Technology, 4(1), 127-135.
  • Oluwatimilehin, J. T. B. & Owoyele, J. W. (2012). Study habits and academic achievement in core subjects among junior secondary school students in Ondo state, Nigeria. Bulgarian Journal of Science and Education Policy, 6(1), 155.
  • Onyibe, C. O., Uma, U. U. & Ibina, E. (2015). Examination malpractice in Nigeria: causes and effects on national development. Journal of Education and Practice, 6(26), 12-17.
  • Oxford. nd. https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/examination.
  • Pitan, O. O. (2013). Poor study habit as an educational problem among university undergraduates in the contemporary times and effective management strategies. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention, 2(11), 72-76.
  • Pretorius, S. G. (2014). Educators’ perceptions of school effectiveness and dysfunctional schools in South Africa. Journal of Social Sciences, 40(1), 51-64.
  • Richter, L. & Samuels, M. L. (2018). The South African universal preschool year: a case study of policy development and implementation. Child: care, health and development, 44(1), 12-18.
  • Scott, I. (2017). No quick fix for university crisis. Available online at: https://mg.co.za/article/2017-10-13-00-no-quick-fix-for-university-crisis. Accessed September 20, 2019.
  • Sibanda, L., Iwu, C. G. & Benedict, O. H. (2015a). Factors influencing academic performance of university students. Demography and Social Economy, 24(2), 103-115.
  • Sibanda, L., Iwu, C. G. & Benedict, O. H. (2015b). Academic success factors: implications for teaching, learning and academic administration. International Journal of Educational Sciences, 10(2), 269-279.
  • StatsSA. (2018). http://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=12075. Accessed October 3, 2019.
  • The Presidency (Republic of South Africa). (2004). Immigration Amendment Act 2004 (Act 19 of 2004). The Department of Home Affairs, South Africa.
  • Trines, S. (2017). Education in Vietnam. Available online at: https://wenr.wes.org/2017/11/education-in-vietnam. Accessed 25 October, 2019.
  • Wilayat, M. (2009). Examination malpractice: causes of examination malpractice/unfair means, I.E.R. University of Peshawar.

Downloads

No downloads have been recorded for this article yet. Figures appear here once readers begin downloading the full text.

How to Cite

Iwu, C. G. (2020). Socioeconomic Implications of Examination Fraud and Assessment Irregularities in South Africa’s Higher Education Sector: A Futuristic View. Journal of Social and Development Sciences, 10(3(S), 39-47. https://doi.org/10.22610/jsds.v10i3(S).2984

Share this article

Section

Research Paper

Published

2020-01-10

Submissions

Have research to publish? Journal of Social and Development Sciences welcomes submissions.

Make a Submission