By: Emmanuel Amoah
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced that all invigilators implicated in malpractices during the recently concluded West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) will be held accountable under the law.
The WASSCE, which began on August 5, 2024, with Visual Arts project work and ended on September 20, 2024, saw multiple instances of exam misconduct.
According to WAEC, these violations included the distribution of answers to candidates, the smuggling of mobile phones into examination halls by both students and teachers, and the use of projectors and boards to display answers for students to copy.
John Kapi, WAEC’s Head of Public Relations, disclosed that some invigilators have already been fined, while others are facing legal action. Investigations are ongoing, and WAEC has assured that all those found guilty will face appropriate sanctions.
“When we confiscate a mobile phone from a candidate, that alone is grounds for canceling their results. In cases where answers were projected on boards, we stopped it, but the candidates were allowed to complete the exam. We then instructed school heads to locate any students who fled the examination halls,” Kapi noted.
He continued, “Teachers caught in these activities were immediately handed over to the police. Some have paid fines, others are still in court, and a few have been remanded. Teachers are reported immediately, while candidates are allowed to finish the exam before investigations begin.”
WAEC also thanked stakeholders who reported incidents of malpractice and reassured the public of its commitment to ensuring credible and fair examinations, despite the challenges encountered.
