6 Winning Points: Parents Are to Blame for Examination Malpractice, Not Students
Good day, students!
Are you preparing for a tough debate? You’ve come to the right place. Today, we are tackling a very hot topic in Nigerian schools. We often see students getting punished for exam fraud, but is it really their fault? Or is there a bigger hand behind the scenes?
If you are supporting the motion that Parents Are to Blame for Examination Malpractice, Not Students, you need strong, bold points. You can’t just be emotional; you need facts.
Before we dive into the script, let’s define our terms. Examination malpractice is any illegal act done to pass an exam, like cheating or buying answers. But today, we are proving that the root cause isn’t the child in the exam hall—it’s the parents at home.
This article provides debate points supporting one side of the motion for educational purposes. It is not meant to disrespect parents but to help students build a logical argument.
Winning Debate Points on Why Parents Are to Blame for Examination Malpractice, Not Students
Here are the arguments you need to win the judges over. Speak these with confidence!
1. Who Funds the Malpractice?
Let’s be honest with ourselves. Who has the money? We are students. Most of us struggle to buy data to browse the internet, let alone pay the huge sums required for “special centers” or “runs.”
My first point is simple: Parents provide the funding. Examination malpractice is an expensive business. It costs thousands of naira to register in a “miracle center” or to bribe an official. A secondary school student does not have that kind of money. It is the parents who withdraw this cash and pay for the malpractice. If parents refused to pay for shortcuts, malpractice would drop by 50% overnight. It’s that simple. As they say, he who pays the piper calls the tune.
2. The Crush of Undue Pressure
Have you ever met a student who was forced to study a course they hate? It happens every day.
Parents often put undue pressure on their children to become doctors, lawyers, or engineers, even when the child doesn’t have the aptitude for it. This fear of failure drives the student to the wall. When a parent tells a child, “If you don’t get 300 in JAMB, don’t come back home,” what do they expect? The child becomes desperate.
This isn’t just my opinion. According to a report by The Guardian Nigeria, high parental expectation is a leading cause of anxiety that pushes students toward cheating. The student isn’t cheating because they are a criminal; they are cheating because they are terrified of disappointing their parents.
3. Enrollment in “Miracle Centers”
This is the most damaging evidence against parents. Many parents don’t even believe in their children’s ability to pass.
Instead of hiring a tutor or encouraging the child to read—perhaps using guides like our post on 10 effective study habits every student should develop parents actively go out to search for schools where cheating is allowed. We call them “Miracle Centers.”
I know friends whose parents withdrew them from strict schools and registered them in “special centers” just for WAEC. The student didn’t ask for it. The student was just told, “We are moving you to a school where you will pass easily.” In this case, Parents Are to Blame for Examination Malpractice, Not Students, because they are the ones arranging the venue for the crime.
4. Moral Decay Starts at Home
Charity, they say, begins at home. If a child sees their father bribing a police officer on the road, or their mother lying to get out of trouble, what lesson is the child learning?
Children mimic what they see. When parents show a lack of academic integrity or moral values, the child thinks it is normal to cut corners. You cannot raise a child in a home where rules are broken and expect them to be a saint in the exam hall. The moral decay we see in schools is just a reflection of the moral decay in the homes.
5. Neglect of Parental Duties
Some parents are just too busy chasing money. They pay the school fees, but they never check the child’s notes. They never ask, “Did you do your homework?”
Because of this neglect, the student becomes lazy. Then, when the exam is two weeks away, the parent suddenly wakes up and realizes the child is not prepared. Instead of facing the reality, they try to buy a way out. If parents spent more time involved in their child’s education—similar to the advice we gave on how parents can help with school debates in Nigeria the child would be confident enough to write the exam alone. But because they failed in their duty, they resort to malpractice.
6. Purchasing “Runs” and Expo
Finally, let’s talk about the “expo” culture. Today, it is parents who join WhatsApp groups where exam answers are shared.
It sounds shocking, but it is true. There are parents who actually buy the answers and send them to their children. How can we blame a 16-year-old student when their own mother is the one forwarding the answers to them? It makes no sense. The adult is the guardian. The adult should know better. When the guardian becomes the accomplice, the child has no choice but to follow.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the strongest argument for the opposing side? The opposition will likely say that students are lazy and peer pressure from friends is the cause. You can counter this by admitting peer pressure exists, but insisting that parents are the ones who empower that laziness by paying for shortcuts.
How do I conclude my debate speech effectively? End with a strong summary. Remind the judges that a student cannot pay for malpractice without a parent’s wallet. Leave them with a thought-provoking question like, “If we stop the funding from parents, won’t the malpractice stop?”
Can I use these points for a primary school debate? Yes, but simplify the language a bit. You can focus more on the point that “Mummy and Daddy tell us what to do.” You might also find our guide on easy debate topics for primary pupils helpful for younger debaters.
Conclusion / Summary
To wrap up, the motion that Parents Are to Blame for Examination Malpractice, Not Students is supported by the facts that parents provide the funding, apply the pressure, and often register students in miracle centers.
While students have a role to play in studying, the infrastructure of malpractice in Nigeria is largely maintained by the older generation. If parents decide today that they will no longer pay for “runs,” exam malpractice will die a natural death.
This article supports one side of a debate motion for educational purposes only. Both parents and students have roles to play in upholding exam ethics.
External Reference: For more on the official stance against malpractice, you can visit the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) official website.
What do you think? Do you agree that parents carry the biggest blame? Drop your opinions in the comments section below… Also, feel free to share this post with your coursemates or those in your team!
