WASSCE: Bright SHS students beat invigilator, Graphic reporter

Final-year students of Bright Senior High School (SHS), a private school at Kukurantumi in the Abuakwa North Municipality in the Eastern Region, went on the rampage on Thursday and beat an external invigilator in the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), Mr David Nii Djan Mensah, and a reporter with the Daily Graphic, Mr Emmanuel Pacome Damalie.

The students got infuriated after the external invigilator resisted their attempts to engage in malpractices.

Instigation

The proprietor of the school, Mr Bright Amponsah, allegedly instigated the students to beat the journalist who had gone to the school to observe the situation following a demonstration by the students.

When the rowdy students spotted the reporter, they chased him with sticks and threw stones at him as they shouted “thief, thief”.

As they caught up with Mr Damalie, they seized his mobile phone and bag and subjected him to severe beatings.

Other journalists who were also at the school rushed him to the Community Clinic at Kukurantumi but due to undue delay in attending to him they sent him to the Tafo Government Hospital where he was treated and discharged.

Compromise

According to Mr Mensah from the very day of the start of the examination the proprietor of the school had wanted to compromise him but he refused his gesture and that the situation got worse in the course of the Social Studies paper.

He said the students of the school would now write the rest of their examination at the Ofori Panin SHS, also in Kukurantumi.

He said the school had notoriously engaged in examination malpractices over the years and the West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC) therefore was very alert this time around, and engaged external invigilators who were strictly adhering to examination standards.

Reporter’s story

Telling his story, Mr Damalie said after he had covered the story and he was about to leave the compound, about 20 men on motorbikes, joined by students, rushed on him and assaulted him without any provocation.

He said but for a commercial vehicle driver who assisted him to escape the worse would have happened.

The Municipal Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Mr Obeng Dompreh, told the Daily Graphic that investigations had started and those found to be involved would be brought to book.