2019 WASSCE leakage reports; WAEC initiates investigations

Following reports of leakage of examination papers in the 2019 ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has explained that it has increased the inspection and monitoring of the examination at the various centres.

In a statement signed and issued on Tuesday evening by Mrs Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, a Deputy Director in charge of Public Affairs, WAEC said it has withdrawn and annulled the appointment of some supervisors and invigilators pending further sanctions.

It also said it has made a formal complaint to the Cyber Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigations Departy (CID) of the Ghana Police on the operations of some "rogue websites", purportedly aiding in examination malpractices.

There is a resurgence of the operation of rogue websites whose operators, with the connivance of some invigilators and supervisors, receive snapshots of the question papers from the centres after the question paper packets are opened.

They then solve the questions and post the answers on their websites and on social media platforms such as WhatsApp groups of candidates who have paid for their services.

In WAEC's statement copied to Graphic Online, it said a number of candidates suspected to have been involved in examination malpractice are being investigated.

As a further step, the Council says it would scrutinise all scripts of schools where cheating has been reported.

"It must be noted that a great number of candidates have conducted themselves very well and due diligence would be followed to ensure fairness to all," the statement added.

"The Council urges all stakeholders including members of the public to collaborate with it to safeguard the integrity of the examinations and certificates awarded."

Explaining further, WAEC said its attention has been drawn to false information circulating on social media about the purported leakage of papers of the ongoing exams.

"The Council wishes to state as follows:

1. That there has been no leakage of examination papers for the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2019.

2. That the Council in its monitoring of the examination has received information regarding examination malpractice in examination halls and planned cheating patterns at some of the centres as a result of poor supervision and invigilation.

3. That in some cases, pre-arranged cheating has been reported by insiders with school authorities creating hideouts where teachers knowledgeable in the subject area wait for the question paper packets to be opened. Snapshots of these questions are taken, solved and answers sent to candidates in the examination hall.

4. Smuggling of mobile phones to the examination hall by candidates awaiting solutions as stated in point 3 above.

5. Resurgence of the operation of rogue websites. These website operators, with the connivance of some invigilators and supervisors, receive snapshots of the question papers from the centres after the question paper packets are opened. They then solve the questions and post the answers on their websites and the WhatsApp groups of candidates who have paid for their services.

To address these challenges, the Council has put in place the following measures:

(1) Increased the inspection and monitoring of the examination at the various centres;

(2) Withdrawn and/or annulled the appointment of some supervisors and invigilators pending further sanctions;

(3) Made a formal complaint to the Cyber Crime Unit of the CID on the operations of the rogue websites;

(4) A number of candidates suspected to have been involved in examination malpractice are being investigated.

As a further step, the Council would scrutinise all scripts of schools where cheating has been reported. . »

It must be noted that a great number of candidates have conducted themselves very well and due diligence would be followed to ensure fairness to all.

The Council urges all stakeholders including members of the public to collaborate with it to safeguard the integrity of the examinations and certificates awarded.