Late arrival of exam papers sparks Education Minister’s call for overhaul

The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has called for an immediate overhaul of the transportation, distribution and handling of examination materials by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

The call follows a delay in the delivery of question papers at the Boako M/A examination centre in Sefwi Wiawso in the Western North Region, where candidates were left waiting 15 minutes after the scheduled start time before receiving their papers.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the situation, the Minister directed the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), who serves on the WAEC Council, to push for immediate reforms to ensure fairness for all candidates.

He stressed the need for timely distribution of examination materials to all centres nationwide to guarantee that candidates begin their papers simultaneously.

Mr Iddrisu also instructed officials at the centre to ensure that the delay did not disadvantage the candidates.

The Minister urged invigilators and supervisors to maintain high standards of professionalism and ensure an incident-free examination.

He reiterated concerns about examination malpractice, describing it as a persistent challenge in the conduct of national examinations.

Mr Iddrisu warned that the GES would not shield any official found to be complicit in malpractice.

Addressing the candidates, the Minister encouraged them to remain calm and approach the examination with confidence.

He described the BECE as a routine assessment of knowledge acquired over nine years of basic education and urged them to perform to the best of their ability.

He further advised candidates to avoid panic and strive to make themselves, their schools and the nation proud through honest effort.