A Zaria-based Non Governmental Organisation, Teens and Times, said on Wednesday that about 95 per cent of students writing Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations do not read, but pay their way out of school.

The Coordinator of the NGO, Nnenna Opigbe blamed the development on proliferation of miracle centres and connivance of parents with schools to pass their children at all cost.

Opigbe said in Kaduna that the students have assumed that reading hard does not translate to good grades, so they pay to get good grade.

She said, “When I interact with some of these students about their reading habits they will say auntie, do not worry, we will pass and their parents will pay and will pass.

“What worries me is that these students are intelligent, creative and innovative and could pass their exam on their own.

“But they feel there is no need to read since they will pay their way out and get the grades they need to get them into university or polytechnic.”

She said there was the need for massive reorientation campaign to enlighten parents on the dangers of such practice to the future of the children.

She said, “It starts from the home. Parents want their children to have all As against all odds.

“They should be interested in making their children get better academically, not just the certificate.”

The coordinator added that reading culture has been eroded in schools because most school owners were afraid of recording poor results.

She said, “School owners are willing to do anything for students to gets good grades out of fear that parents may withdraw their wards to other schools due to poor performance.

“Schools should concentrate in developing these students for their own betterment and not mainly for the school pockets.”

The coordinator urged relevant government agencies to come up with strict regulations to stem all form of examination malpractice, to encourage students to read and become better persons in the society.

She described Teens and Times as an organisation working to entrench positive ideas and ideals in the minds of the youngsters to make them better adult tomorrow.

She said, “Teens and Times is interested in developing Nigerian teenagers by channelling their positive energy to achieving positive result in their academic pursuit.

“We want the 21 century teens to positively influence their peers on right and positive things, get their mind off negative things and steer them to good morals and ideals to build a sane society.”