The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has expressed disappointment over the number of malpractice cases recorded in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
In a press briefing in relation to the ongoing examinations, the head of public affairs for the West African Examinations Council, John K. Kapi, disclosed that persons involved in the unlawful act have been arrested and will soon be arraigned for further legal action.
“It is sad to note that some schools have devised grand schemes for cheating at their examination centres. Information reaching us indicates that some of the schools charge their candidates ranging between GH¢500 and GH¢1000 each to enable them to get assistance during the examination. This practice has given some students a certain sense of entitlement, and they want to be allowed their way”.
“Proprietors of some schools have shown open hostility towards our monitoring teams, prompting us to call for support from the Ghana Police Service to ensure their safety. And some persons have been arrested for attempting to bribe our personnel to look the other way so that the cheating can go on,” he lamented.
The annual West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in Ghana is often characterised by several irregularities, such as the smuggling of electronic gadgets into examination halls, leakage of examination questions and impersonation.
This dire situation cannot only be traced to the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), as the same incident is associated with the Basic Education Certificate Examination(BECE) in Ghana.
In August 2023, during the Basic Education Certificate Examination(BECE) and the commencement of the WASSCE, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), with the assistance of security personnel, picked up seven teachers, one of them an invigilator, at different examinations centres for their involvement in examination malpractice.
The teachers were allegedly found either solving questions of the ongoing examination or, with phones and tablets in their possession, with answers to questions.
They were captured on camera, transmitting the materials to the students.