Member of Parliament for Akatsi North, Peter Notsu-Kotoe, has charged the West African Examination Council (WAEC) to publicly release the names of officials involved in the leakage of test papers in the ongoing West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The ranking member on parliament’s education committee explained that the move will halt the perennial malpractices and leakages which affect the integrity of the Council.
“When you [WAEC] do the investigations, name and shame the culprits so that it can deter others from engaging in such activities”.
Mr Peter Notsu-Kotoe
WAEC, on Wednesday, September 15, 2021 confirmed that Elective Mathematics and English have been compromised in this year’s examination.
Addressing stakeholders, Head of Test Administration at WAEC, George Ohene-Mantey, said portions of the papers were found to have been circulated prior to the examination.
Reacting to the leakage, the Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare, had earlier petitioned the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to investigate the source of question leakages in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Following this, he revealed that he began discussions with the CID about the investigations on Tuesday and subsequently submitted their evidence and sources for the leaked questions.
Speaking in an interview, he explained that the West African Examinations Council is being a “bit charitable with the actual situation on the ground because its image is at stake”.
“It’s unfortunate. But that is why we have petitioned the Director-General of the CID to investigate the source of these questions”.
Leaked questions on social media platforms
Additionally, the Executive Director of Africa Education Watch stated that his team bought leaked questions between GHS30 to GHS100 from some platforms on social media.
“So, we think that it is time for the CID to do their work and assist the government of Ghana [to] find out where the questions are leaking. Obviously, the questions are not leaking in the classroom, they are not leaking in the centres. They are leaking in a night before the papers, so all the time you realise that the time it leaks is actually a time when the questions should be in the safe custody of the strong room (of WAEC) and not at the schools. That is why we think that the CID must step in”.
Mr Kofi Asare
Furthermore, Kofi Asare revealed that his outfit intercepted some of the questions papers which were leaked. He further noted that his outfit has evidence which when examined, could help the WAEC and government strengthen their quality of assessment. This, he explained, includes security and also enhancement of their credibility.
“We have been intercepting questions, between 10:30 pm and 4:00 am, at least for four WASSCE subjects. It started from the 20th of August with Food and Nutrition 3, then it moved to Elective Maths sometime last week. This week, English leaked and on the same day as English paper, NAPTEX Social Studies came around. Then this dawn at 4:00 am we got the Physics. So, this is the fifth one we have intercepted”.
Mr Kofi Asare
Read Also: President of GHA unsurprised about growth in Hotel and Restaurant sub-sector
