44 teachers, invigilators, supervisors busted over BECE centre infractions

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has so far caused the arrest of 44 invigilators, supervisors and teachers not assigned to the examination centres for their alleged involvement in examination malpractice at the just-ended Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

Almost all of the cases were mobile phone infractions.

The officials were either caught using mobile phones to take photographs of the examination questions to be solved or securing examination questions answers using ChatGTP.

Twifo Praso: Four teachers convicted and fined GH¢3,000 each for BECE malpractices, if they fail to pay fine they will spend one year in jail

Those arrested for the examination were from seven regions, with the Ashanti Region topping the list of cases with 17, followed by the Western Region with nine cases, the Greater Accra with six cases, Central Region five, Eastern Region four and the Bono Region with two, while the Bono East concludes the list with a case.

The Public Affairs Officer of the WAEC, John Kapi, who disclosed this to Graphic Online, said the two cases in the Bono Region had been dealt with and both of them have been fined.

He said at the Bono East Region, however, two officials, who were arrested included one invigilator at the just ended practical aspect of the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) while the other one was also involved in the BECE.

Mr Kapi said the invigilator implicated in the WASSCE practical pleaded guilty and was fined while the other one, who pleaded not guilty had been granted bail.

“At Twifo Praso in the Central Region, four of them pleaded guilty and were fined 250 penalty unit each, which is equivalent to about GH¢3,000 each,” he told Graphic Online.

Change narrative

The Ghana Education Service (GES) has reminded heads of senior high schools (SHSs) that are consistently cited for examination malpractice to change the narrative this year or risk being changed.

“Because if you cannot change the situation, then we will change you.

The situation will change you,” the Director-General of GES, Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, said at a press conference in Accra yesterday.

He stressed: “So, if you were cited three years ago, you were cited two years ago, your school was cited last year, then you have no chance this year if you are cited again.

Then it’s clear that you cannot change the situation. So, we will change you or the situation must change you for us to get others to come and help us improve the situation.” 

Prof. Davis was briefing the media on this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School Candidates, which begins with the theory subjects today.

Exam officers

The Director-General of GES reminded supervisors and regional directors of education that all teachers and supervisors who were linked to examination malpractice last year and were being processed for sanction had been banned from the examination centres.

Prof. Davis said they were not supposed to come near the examination centres, and were also expected not to have anything to do with the entire examination process, including marking.

He thanked all stakeholders for the massive support it received through its hotlines during the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), and called on them to once again to support our effort to fight examination malpractice and conduct a successful WASSCE this year.

“Please, report examination malpractice to GES immediately. You get information that it is happening. GES hotlines are 020-136-0789 and 020-136-0786.

“We make these hotlines available, the same hotlines we use for the BECE. I wish to thank all of you for the audience and we look forward to the same support you gave us during the BECE,” he said.

Infraction

Asked about the sanctions, the Director-General of GES said depending on the nature of the infraction, the sanction could be dismissal.

“For example, if the person was caught and prosecuted, then that person has a criminal record, so we will expel the person,” he said.

Such culprits had been banned from getting near the this year’s examination, he said, adding that last year there were 35 such cases involving teachers.

Out of the number, 15 were arrested, 19 others were sent to court and were convicted and either fined or imprisoned.

Again, Prof. Davis said 14 of the cases were still with the Ghana Police Service at the various jurisdictions.

“So, all these people, we are saying that they should never have anything to do with the examination.

We don’t want them near the exams, not even the marking,” he emphasised.

Challenge

The Director-General of GES emphasised that examination malpractice continued to be a challenge.

“This practice is dangerous because it makes it extremely difficult for us to assess the quality of education.

A student who cheats his way through examination does not have what it takes to progress successfully,” Prof. Davis stressed. 

“The examination result of such student does not reflect the student’s academic capability. It makes it difficult to determine how well we are performing,” he added.

Prof. Davis said a number of cases of examination malpractice were reported at some of the centres last year, and that management of GES and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) embarked on an extensive sensitisation exercise to educate Ghanaians on the harmful effects of examination malpractice and that regional education directors in all the 16 regions led the exercise across the country.

The Director-General of GES, therefore, urged all students to prepare well for the examination, saying that there was no need for them to panic or fear because the examination questions would come from their syllabuses or curriculum.

That, he said, meant that the questions would be within their experience and that they only needed to apply themselves to their books and not expect external help.

“They should learn and make sure they have written the exams by themselves and pass. I urge all supervisors and invigilators to maintain a higher standard of professionalism. Those who are caught aiding cheaters will be severely punished.

Candidature

There are 509,862 candidates sitting for the exams, made up of 225,274 boys and 284,588 girls from 1,020 schools.

The number is an increase of 10.4 per cent over last year’s.

Each candidate will take an average of seven subjects, comprising four core and a minimum of three elective subjects.

The examination will be conducted in 1,017 centres across the country.