Dr. Kwabena Tandoh, Deputy Director General for Ghana Education Service says the GES is very disappointed in Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman, former running mate for the NDC for attributing the excellent WASSCE results to leakages.
Speaking in an interview,; Mr Tandoh said the comments were quite shocking to hear since the students had studied and performed meticulously through hard work.
“We are wholly disappointed in the unfortunate statement by the former Minister for Education. For Ghana Education Service,;it was quite shocking to hear that because we have children from Mfantsipim Senior High School,;from Holy Child College, private institutions, from Achimota, from Wesley Girls. And all these young girls and young boys,;somehow to suggest that there was a coordinated effort amongst the Ghana Education service, amongst the schools and the children? To somehow leak exam papers to all of these children, it questions the integrity of everybody.”
Dr. Tandoh
His comment comes on the back of Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman questioning the validity of last year’s WASSCE results and also attributing the excellent performance by the student to leakage of exam questions.
Jane Opoku Agyeman on WASSCE performance
In an aired interview with the former running mate,;she questioned the results based on the issues that surrounded the examination.
“We have also heard and seen students who wrote an exam,;came out and it was like, you know we had an earthquake in this country, it wasn’t like one school or two schools… This same group performance is supposed to be outstanding that we shouldn’t be talking, it is the group I am referring to.
“And they went and wrote the exams we heard of the leakage of the exams, we heard of invigilators being compromised, we heard many things and we also saw the students come out and speak about, ‘no this is not [what]we were told will happen’, now these students have A’s and we are happy? It is up to us.”
Jane Opoku-Agyeman
However, the Deputy Director averred that if the papers were leaked, the issue that was described as an earthquake or the students’ displeasure with the way the exam went, wouldn’t have made sense. He also said the GES is not over reacting on the former Education Ministers comment.
“Anybody who had leaks of exams questions will obviously not come out and be angry and destroy properties and cause an earthquake.
“We also know in this country that every year, there are stories and issues of leaked papers and such,;but whenever we have challenges, we have a reputable West African Examination Council not a Ghana Examination Council. Its registrar is not even in Ghana but Sierra Leonne. So, to somehow suggest that there has been this coordinated effort to make 411 of the 465 children look good, it’s heart wrenching and it’s painful.”
Dr. Tandoh
Conducting exams will come with challenges
Dr. Tandoh noted that it was important to understand that there will be challenges every year since conducting exams in this country have always had stories of leaks. He added that, such claims show that WAEC is vigilant in identifying and addressing such issues which even results in the cancellation of some papers.
“We’ve heard stories of exam papers being cancelled. Even under Professor Jane Opoku Agyeman’s time as minister of education, we had stories of leaked exam papers. Not once or twice but every year during her time. But that doesn’t constitute throwing out the performance of those young children who have worked so hard to get 8As.”
Dr. Tandoh
