The Campaign Against Privatisation and Commercialisation of Education (CAPCOE), has warned against any act of examination malpractices as the West African Examination Council (WAEC) begins the 2022 senior school certificates examination.
A statement signed by Mr. Richard Kwashie Kovey, CAPCOE Convener and made available to the Ghana News Agency in Tema, said the practice of examination malpractices was largely perceived to be fertile in the private institutions but was now assuming popularity among the public schools.
“These put the credibility of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in Ghana and those of other West African countries to question.
“Beyond what we see today is the future implications on employability of our schools’ graduates, leadership, and managerial crises,” the statement stated.
CAPCOE said that it was engaging the government to direct more resources to the public pre-tertiary education sector and that any attempt on the part of invigilators, school authorities, and WAEC officials involved in the examination malpractices chain would erode their gains and the future consequences would be dire.
“We want to encourage all those involved in the conduct of examination to exhibit a high level of professional conduct to restore the credibility in our external examinations as WAASCE written papers started on Monday, August 22,” it stated.
The statement said teachers and heads of institutions who were focal persons in the whole exercise were being monitored closely and anyone found culpable would be dealt with in accordance with the law and rules governing the conduct of examination.
CAPCOE however expressed concern about the embargo on Mocks and End of Term examinations by the Ghana Education Service (GES) due to the inability of the state to fund these exams compelling teachers to assess students with homework and class scores during the term.
The campaigners stated that though these forms of assessment were affirmative, it did not boost the confidence of candidates in an external examination which left them feeling anxious, hence the attempt to cheat during the external examination.
The group suggested steps should be taken to address overpampering of students by human rights and political authorities that made them see cheating as an entitlement.
CAPCOE said measures should be put in place to deal with offending candidates to deter others.
“Poor learning environment that creates inferiority complex among those in lower category schools also contribute to the survival of the fittest syndrome urging them to cheat to survive,” CAPCOE stated.
CAPCOE affirmed its support for recommendations made by other stakeholders for the establishment of a regulatory body that would supervise and adjudicate matters of examination standards, malpractices, fraud, and misconduct.
CAPCOE wished all candidates the best of luck and urged them to work hard, be proud of their achievements, and desist from any form of examination malpractices to avoid sanctions that could mar their academic careers.
