WAEC and NECO give reasons for low fee
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Both the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and Nigeria’s National Examination Council (NECO) have been paying their examiners N14 per script for 18 years running, probably explaining why some collect bribe.
WAEC and NECO invigilators and examiners are known to make illegal money by selling question papers to schools and students or take bribe to inflate marks.
Investigation shows that several are not happy with having to get paid N14 per script which fetches less than N15,000 for the two weeks the exercise lasts.
Low fee does not justify anyone collecting bribe.
But in a country where the number one disease is financial corruption with impunity, the pittance paid examiners makes underhand dealings more alluring to some people.
Below are the views of members of the public, stakeholders, and the experiences recounted by WAEC and NECO examiners who are mostly teachers in public and private schools:
Alaba Oluwakemi
He began marking West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) scripts at N14 per script in 2016 and later stopped. If he marked 250 scripts and got other allowances, he earned N13,000 for the two weeks it lasted.
He marked WAEC physics practical, a strenuous exercise that prevented him from attending to other meaningful tasks, he told The PUNCH which conducted the investigation.
Oluwakemi disclosed that WAEC pays N14 per script for major subjects like physics, maths, and English but fee is between N12 and N13 for other subjects.
“The experience is very traumatic. You will have to leave many things and dedicate all your time to these scripts if you want to meet up with the two weeks deadline.
“If not, you will see them running after you and if one is not careful, police will come after you.
“I stopped because of the terrible pay which is about N12,000 to N13,000 for the two weeks and the ridiculous thing is the pay is still the same till today. What I collected five to six years ago is still the same.”
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Tunji Ayeni
He marks both WASSCE and NECO scripts. NECO pays him N9.57 per script.
He said both examination bodies pay examiners peanuts for the entire two weeks during which they have no time to attend to personal businesses or school work.
“Marking fee per script for NECO is N9.57, lump sum is N16 per script, attendance is N2000. WAEC attendance is N2,500. Coordination fee for NECO is N3,600.”
Comments on social media
Some markers complain about the poor remuneration on the Facebook platform of Concerned Parents Educators Network.
Andresa Uneze
“It is indeed modern slavery. The last one I marked in 2018 was a total of 257 scripts at N14 per script.
“Marking Fees – N3,759, Attendance Fee – N2,500, Coordination Fee – N4,000, Lump – sum N4112, Total = N14, 371.
“I appreciate the experience but I won’t try it again because the money I spent only on transportation to collect and return scripts, see my supervisor and a lot more is over 5,000.”
Jeffy Cole
“Three days coordination, 10 days marking. You must see your team leader in between.
“Marking two parcels of 300 papers and in the end, you will be paid N14,000. During the 10 days, you will not enjoy yourself because you want to meet the deadline.”
Akinyemi Onus
“Stop marking and see changes being made. N13,000.00? Seriously? and people still mark for these examination bodies? No wonder the results are awful, no motivation to even settle down and mark these candidates’ papers properly.”
Dideolu Adekogbe
“Yes, I was there before I stopped marking for both WAEC and NECO. The marking fee is ridiculous compared to the effort required to mark a script.
“As a biology practical marker in WAEC, I know what it takes and time involved in marking a script. Also in NECO, I marked the theory for variety cases and neither of the two parts of the examination is easy to mark.
“It requires accuracy and diligence to do a great job on the scripts. A marker can have as much as 250 and more to deliver within a specified timeline and team leader vetting.
“Honestly, the marking fee should be increased because even the examination fees have been increased. The stress involved is much, that is why I stopped marking many years ago in 2006.
“Many subject teachers are also getting discouraged and this is not a good sign for the examination bodies.
“The subject teachers need to keep marking to up their games in subject competency and be current in the expectations of examination bodies in order to prepare the students diligently.
“My advice is for them to go technological, this will reduce manual marking. I think a pack of 250 scripts should not be less than N25,000. That’s like N100 per script.”
WAEC, NECO explain reasons for low fee
The spokespersons for both WAEC and NECO gave reasons for the low fee paid examination markers and why it has not been increased since 2003.
Patrick Areghan (Head of Nigeria National Office, WAEC)
“The inability to increase their remuneration since 2003 was because of the static fee; because we use the registration fee to do everything.
“We are enhancing all the remuneration now that we have got approval to increase the registration fee. With this little adjustment, we are going to enhance the remuneration of all the markers.
“It is no longer possible to continue to provide services with the current fee of N13,950 per candidate. Furthermore, our ad hoc workers, supervisors, examiners, checkers, item writers and indeed all examination functionaries have been agitating for improved remunerations.
“We have received approval from the appropriate quarters with effect from WASSCE for school candidates 2022 to charge N18,000 per candidate. We are therefore asking all school principals to collect N18,000 per candidate for registration.
“A part of this new fee has been dedicated to the enhancement of the remunerations for the various examination functionaries and our Governing Board has graciously approved the remunerations, which will come into effect from the WASSCE for school candidates, 2022.”
Azeez Sani (NECO spokesperson)
“NECO appreciates the contributions of our examiners to the success story of the council over the years. Plans are afoot to increase the honorarium paid to our examiners for their invaluable service.
“The present management under the leadership of the Registrar/CE, Prof. Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, is working towards the implementation of the new pay regime for our examiners.”
Other stakeholders chip in:
Remi Dairo (Institute of Productivity and Business Innovation Management President)
“They should increase the marking fee. This is intellectual work and they must even be commended for doing such a great job. Without them how can our children get needed grades to enter into universities or polytechnics?
“We should also realise that the inflation and economic situation in the country has affected everyone even those who mark examination papers! They go to the same market like others and they should not be left out in the increment in their allowance. I suggest a fee of N20,000.”
Dennis Okoro (former Director of Education Support Services, Federal Ministry of Education)
“Commonsense is enough to know that from 2003 till now a lot of things have happened to the Nigeria economy; inflation rate is there.
“Examiners have to travel from one place to another with all these, commonsense should tell them to adjust whatever they pay using inflation.
“They should also understand that we are getting to digital economy, these things can be done automatically.
“It is not something we just say this per cent, that per cent, but it should be judged by at what rate is a bag of rice, transport fare etc. are increasing. This is what any good administration should consider.
“Look at the economy of Nigeria and find the rate of inflation to know the cost of rice, transportation; you will know it is ridiculous to keep a remuneration of 2003 in 2021.
“I can’t recommend any amount but my common sense tells me things are not right.”
Akpan Ekpo (professor of economist and public policy)
“I think they should pay more, both WAEC and NECO should pay more and it should be the same so we don’t have unnecessary competition.
“And they need quality markers too, so they should increase the remuneration to N25,000 for the two weeks task.”
