In response to parents protesting over the withholding of 2024 WASSCE results due to exam malpractice, Kofi Asare, Executive Director of Eduwatch Africa, has expressed regret that some candidates with withheld results may be innocent.
However, he emphasized the importance of allowing the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) to complete its investigations, given the large number of suspected malpractice cases in the 2024 WASSCE.
Asare urged WAEC to continue enforcing standards and rules rigorously, without fear or favor.
“I have seen scores of parents protesting over withheld 2024 WASSCE results. As I indicated last December, at least 80k candidates may not get one of their core subject results, truncating their tertiary transition this year.
“The level of exam malpractice witnessed in the 2024 WASSCE was legendary and shameful. In 2023, the malpractice rate was at an unprecedented 10%. But, based on WAEC’s 2024 WASSCE preliminary report, I expect the figure to hit 12-15%”.
Kofi Asare
Asare further revealed that his outfit, Eduwatch, estimates approximately 160,000 cases of withheld results in Integrated Science and Core Mathematics alone, pending investigation for exam malpractice.
He acknowledged the unfortunate situation but stressed that parents must take a more proactive role in guiding their children against engaging in corrupt practices, such as paying bribes to unscrupulous teachers for assistance during exams.
Asare emphasized that this kind of behavior undermines the integrity of the examination system and the future prospects of the students involved.
He called on parents to reinforce the values of honesty and hard work, encouraging their wards to pursue their education with integrity.
Asare highlighted that while corrupt teachers have benefited from facilitating exam malpractices, the affected students are now left to regret their decisions, facing an uncertain and potentially bleak future.
He stressed that such misconduct has lasting consequences, with both students and the education system suffering as a result. “Ask yourself: What if beyond withholding or canceling your results, you are banned by WAEC?”
Stricter Measures on WASSCE Malpractice Urged
Furthermore, Kofi Asare offered immediate recommendations, stressing that in cases where the results of an entire subject are canceled without prior reports from supervisors, all invigilators and supervisors involved should face sanctions or dismissal.
He indicated that for private schools, WAEC must shut down the center, pointing out that widespread cheating would be impossible without the collusion of these individuals.
He mentioned that over 300 schools were implicated and urged MoE, GES, NaSIA, and WAEC to convene and address this issue.
“The Minister of Education should instruct the GES D-G and GESC to amend the GES Code of Conduct for staff and make the sanctions for participating in examination malpractice an outright dismissal.
“The Minister of Education should consider establishing an independent office of complaints under the MoE, where complaints about abuse of candidates’ rights can be investigated independently”.
Kofi Asare
Asare also emphasized that WAEC cannot be the sole entity responsible for investigating its own actions, particularly when candidates raise concerns about alleged unfair treatment by WAEC officials.
He pointed out that this conflict of interest undermines the credibility of the investigation process.
Additionally, he highlighted the challenges posed by the high cost of litigation, which makes it inaccessible for many, as well as the prolonged duration of court proceedings that often fail to deliver timely justice.
These systemic issues, according to Asare, contribute to a lack of trust in the legal and educational system’s ability to provide effective redress for affected candidates.
Asare further emphasized that the inaction of parents, the Ministry of Education (MoE), GES, and other stakeholders in addressing exam malpractice today will have far-reaching consequences on “the future of our children and the country’s human capital“.
He stressed that failing to tackle this issue now would not only affect the integrity of the education system but also hinder the potential of future generations.
The long-term impact, according to Asare, would be the loss of trust in the system and a diminished ability to build a skilled, competent workforce essential for national development. “Yesterday’s tomorrow is today!”
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