Opinions of Tuesday, 6 August 2019

Columnist: ghananewsagency.org

WAEC must release results simultaneously

WAEC has withheld results of 48,855 WASSCE 2019 candidates WAEC has withheld results of 48,855 WASSCE 2019 candidates

Major media houses in Ghana have reported: "WAEC withholds results of 48,855 candidates as 2019 WASSCE is released." This litany is sung every year when West African Examination Council (WAEC) releases results.

How long will it take WAEC to overcome this problem? Do the candidates employ those, who conduct the examinations? Doesn't WAEC know that they traumatise those whose results are withheld? For how long will WAEC continue to inflict pain on candidates?

This Writer has been involved with WAEC since 1963, when he wrote the Common Entrance Examination and gained admission to Ghana Secondary School, School, Koforidua.

He had to write the West African School Certificate Examination, Ordinary Level in 1969 and the West African School Certificate Examination, Advanced Level in 1971, both as school candidate.

In 1972 he wrote the Advanced Level Examination again as a private candidate. In 1976 he was an invigilator during his National Service days at Acherensua Secondary School in the Ahafo Region. Again he was an invigilator at C.A.C. Grammar School, Akure, Ondo State, and Padopas Harmony Secondary School, Markordi, Benue State, both in Nigeria between 1977 and 1981.

In 1981 he was a WAEC Examiner and marked scripts on the University Of Nigeria, Nsuka WAEC Marking Centre, in Nigeria.

This Writer found it necessary to narrate all this to show that he had some knowledge about what he is writing. Candidates become very anxious when rumours about the release of results begin, so to compound it with withholding some of the results is most unfair.

This leads this writer to ask, who should be responsible for cheating at the examinations? To this writer, the answer is simple.

WAEC is fully responsible. In this digital age, if WAEC has not been able to conduct a credible, problem-free examination, then it should be held responsible and not the candidates.

WAEC! You are tormenting My Grandchildren. Release their results - Now! Now! Now!