Certificates awarded by WAEC under threat - MP

The Member of Parliament for Assin South Hon. Rev. John Ntim Fordjour has underscored the need for stakeholders to join forces together in preventing any leakage in the pending Basic Certificate Examination (BECE), which is expected to start next work Monday.

While conveying his best wishes to all candidates who are preparing for the exams, the MP in a statement presented on the floor of Parliament lamented over the ‘’perennial leakages of the WAEC examination papers.

He said, it ‘’is an unfortunate phenomenon which grossly undermines the integrity of education system of Ghana and potentially vitiates the sustenance of the international competitiveness of Ghanaian students. It also has implications for the image of Ghana on the international front.’’

The legislator in his submission opined, ‘’although WAEC has over the years battled with examination leaks, the overwhelming scale of mass leakages of examination papers characterising the past decade, calls for serious concern.’’

In the view of the MP, perennial examination leakage had been the bane of the examination body despite the recurring assurances by WAEC. He cited some instances in 2002 and 2008 where BECE and WASSCE were cancelled due to examination leakage.

‘’The most embarrassing of the menace occurred in 2016 where amidst the viral transmission of examination questions on various social media platforms hours prior to the scheduled exams, WAEC failed to concede leakage but rather insisted on describing the incidence as ‘’foreknowledge of the questions before commencement of examination.’’

He further advised stakeholders to stop the blame game and rather focus on fostering effective collaboration to protect the integrity of examinations. The ‘’grave repercussions’’ following examination leakage he stressed cannot be overemphasized.

‘’The credibility of the certificates awarded by WAEC in Ghana is at stake. The psychological and financial strain that parents and innocent students are subjected to in preparations for resit in events of exam cancellation is traumatizing.’’

He commended WAEC for successfully conducting the 2017 WASSCE without any reported case of leakage but was quick to admonish WAEC not to allow this success to be temporal.

He concluded by admonishing WAEC, Ministrey of Education, Ghana Education Service, Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and other stakeholders to be resolute in their commitment to sustain the integrity of examinations conducted in Ghana by WAEC.