Tema, Oct 18, GNA - Over 200 private candidates writing the November/December 2007 West Africa Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (WASSSCE) in the Tema Municipality on Thursday could not write the Physics paper due to wrong timing. The West African Examination Council's (WAEC) manual given to the candidates, which said the physics paper three was to be written on October 19 at 1400 hours started at 0900 hours instead. Students who got to the WAEC examination centre at Tema about an hour after the start of the examination were not allowed to write because invigilators said it was against the Council's rules. The frustrated students have therefore called for the immediate cancellation of the paper as the change in time was not communicated to them by WAEC.

Master Besman Patrick Deh, one of the affected candidates told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at the centre that a notice posted on the doors of the centre informed candidates of the change in venue of the physics paper two scheduled for October 13 from Chemu High to Tema High Schools.

Master Deh further said the notice also stated that "Physics three (Test of Practical Work) will, however take place on the 18th of October 2007 at WAEC Hall 'A' without stating any change in time". The affected students said other students who came to the centre in the morning to rehearse before the examination were called to write when the siren was sounded, while students who came later were not allowed.

Other students who expressed their disappointment at the situation said they wanted the paper cancelled and written again by all physics candidates nation wide to ensure that, the affected students do not lose the 50 marks.

The Reverend Samuel Agbozo, a parent who joined in the call for the cancellation said WEAC was not consistent in its time explaining that, the paper originally scheduled to be written in an hour had two-hour-45-minutes printed on the question paper. He said with the explanation given by the candidates the Invigilators could have used their discretion to allow them to write the paper in spite of WAEC's regulations. Meanwhile at about 1345 hours that the GNA got there, the French paper was