A lecturer with the Cape Coast University says the head of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) in Ghana must take the ultimate responsibility for the massive leakage of West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) questions by leaving his post.
According to Dr. Kenneth Aikins, such an action will indicate that WAEC does not tolerate unethical breaches and is willing to deal with it.
The comment comes on the back of the widespread leakage of examination questions and answers on social media platforms in Ghana.
Speaking to Francis Abban on the Morning Starr, the research fellow said the situation is unfortunate and must be tackled head-on.
“We need to find out from WAEC and other bodies the timing of questions, the people involved in the process. We should be heading towards a kind of system where the personnel is reduced to the nearest minimum. For me, if the leakage has come out, whoever is in charge at WAEC should resign to show that he/she has accepted some responsibility,” he said.
Also commenting on the development, an examiner, who wanted to remain anonymous said WAEC should adopt measures to stop the practice.
“As an examiner, you should be professional. Before you are given papers to mark, you are taking through some orientation. So you have to make sure the place you’re passing through is safe. I think we should introduce conference marking as a solution to our leaked details,” he said.
Meanwhile, the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has strongly condemned the leakage of examination papers.
In a release, NUGS described the situation as shocking and disgusting adding that urgent measures must be taken by WAEC and the GES to ensure that students do not have access to the papers.
“The National Union of Ghana is shocked and disgusted that examination papers continue to leak in the ongoing West African Secondary School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) as a result of the willful negligence of West African Examination Council (WAEC) and wishes to by this medium call on WAEC and other stakeholders such as the Ghana Education Service (GES) to put place strict measures to end spectacle of exam leakages.
“It is suicidal for the nation that many students are ending their secondary academic live and potentially qualifying to be enrolled in tertiary institutions with the help of leaked question papers. The National Union of Ghana Students strongly holds that the failure of authorities to end this cycle of paper leakages further perpetuates the already stark inequities and inequalities in our educational system, as students who can afford to obtain these leaked papers already have a superior advantage over those deprived ones who cannot.
“In addition to perpetuating these inequities deeply rooted by our educational system, it must be noted that this continuous leakage of examination papers goes against all efforts towards building a meritorious society in which one’s success is determined by his or her talent and hard work and not dependent on how best one can cut corners to be successful”.
–Starr FM
