IMANI blames WAEC for exam leak
The policy think tank, IMANI Ghana, has blamed the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) for its inability to detect the various points of the value chain of its examinations where the papers leak.
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It said from examiners to the point where candidates were handed question papers to write, WAEC should be able to detect where the leak occurred, adding, “and if WAEC is unable to detect where it occurs, then it has a problem”.
The Wednesday, April 6, 2016 edition of the Daily Graphic reported the widespread leak of three papers — Oral English, Social Studies and Integrated Science — through social media, particularly Whatsapp.
In the case of the Oral English, the questions were answered and the answers widely circulated.
Examination value chain
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Head of the Centre for Economic Governance and Political Affairs of IMANI, Mr Patrick Stephenson, said WAEC needed robust internal mechanisms that would punish culprits, instead of always waiting for the leak to occur and then lay the blame on the doorstep of candidates.
But WAEC is not the only one dealing with the value chain. The Ghana Education Service (GES), the Ghana Police Service and teachers all play a role.
Mr Stephenson noted that the world over, there were measures designed for administering such examinations, citing foreign examinations that were written in the country whose papers never leaked, and wondered why WAEC could not learn such best practices.
He said WAEC needed to move away from the age-old bureaucratic ways of printing its examination papers three months before the actual date of commencement of the examination to an innovative way when the questions would be printed on the eve of the examination at the various examination points.
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Mr Stephenson proposed that WAEC officials be put on certain performance indicators to hold them responsible in the event of any leak, saying he believed that could address the examination leak.
Investigation commences
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education and the GES have begun investigations into the leak of the three papers in the ongoing WASSCE.
“The WAEC has earnestly launched a thorough investigation into the matter to ascertain the facts,” a statement signed by the Head of the Public Relations Unit of the GES, Rev Jonathan Bettey, said.
It expressed regret over the alleged fore-knowledge of question papers of the ongoing examination in some schools in the Eastern and the Greater Accra regions, particularly on social media platforms.
WAEC explains
Meanwhile, WAEC has given an assurance that it will not cancel the examination papers that had leaked in the ongoing WASSCE.
It further indicated that the remaining papers would be taken as scheduled, as it stepped up investigations to safeguard the integrity of the examination.
While pledging to clean the system, WAEC also cautioned candidates to stay away from such materials because the council had the mechanism to detect those who benefitted from the malpractice and would not hesitate to apply sanctions.
Caution
In its statement, the GES cautioned those who might have “acted in any way to suggest the circulation of questions and content to candidates, aiding students in the examination hall, colluding and conniving with any stakeholder in the quality assurance value chain of the examination to desist completely from it with immediate effect”.
Remain calm
The statement urged all candidates and parents/guardians to remain calm and focus “in the wake of this unfortunate situation as the investigation continues”.
“Management wishes to urge all candidates and parents/guardians to remain calm and focused in the wake of this unfortunate situation as the investigation continues. The GES wants to assure that any staff found culpable will be sanctioned accordingly,” it said.
It further urged the media to be circumspect in their reportage on the ongoing examination in order not to create unnecessary anxiety among candidates and appealed to the public to offer information that could help it prevent the malpractice on telephone number 0208179309.