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Tag: WASSCE

  • Hijabs will be searched during BECE – Edu. Director

    The Municipal Education Director of Effia Kwesimintsim Municipality, Mrs Kate Biney says very stringent measures will be ensured to prevent cheating in the upcoming Basic Education Certificate Examination (B.E.C.E) that is billed to start on Monday , October 17, 2022.

    Speaking on Takoradi-based flagship morning programme Y3nsom with host Kwame Malcolm, on preparedness of the candidates ahead of the examination, the Municipal Education Director hinted of thorough search on the candidates.

    ” …West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) has given the needed orientation for supervisors and made it clear what is expected of them. The teachers themselves do not go to the examination centre, then you leave the children to go to the centre and then searched. This time we are going to do thorough searching so if you hear we are frisking their armpits etcetera understand; as males will search males and females attend to females. Due to what happened during WASSCE, WAEC has information on how candidates hide the foreign material as now it is not as open as in their shoes. They now hide it in their panties as menstrual pads, in between their belts, even they wear double nose mask and hide it in between ;under their neck collars and our muslim colleagues, thier hijabs will be searched;” she emphasised.

    Mrs Kate Biney said that they will be searched to their pants.

    “We will search their pants and the women invigilators can notice if one is really menstruating or has hidden a foreign material there. What is happening is unacceptable, the boys can hide it in their scrotum in between their testicles. We will feel the hijabs if it contains any material aside their hair. We know Muslim ladies do not expose their hair so we will not remove it but when we are suspicious we will ask you to remove it and shake it and wear it again and proceed;” she further explained.

    Mrs Kate Biney this is to ensure no cancellation occurs because most candidates are not in to cheat and must not be made to pay for the actions and inactions of a few recalcitrant ones. She further revealed that the invigilators will not be retained in a particular class for the full tenure of the examinations but will be rotated.

    Mrs Kate Biney revealed that the candidates have been well prepared for the examinations ahead.

    “Even when there was a strike, candidates were going to school in mufti and teachers met to teach them and they were doing peer teaching as well.
    In my catchment area, Nana Brempon, Coba Yalley and the Effia area even when the schools were locked the pupils were there being prepared. The problem is the perception of “apor” (leakage) so I conditioned them that the “apor” is the past questions and the more they kept on solving them it leaves them better prepared;” she emphasised.

  • Deaf students affected by reading, other difficulties – WAEC

    The Accra office of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) has mentioned difficulty in reading and understanding test items as some of the challenges faced by hearing-impaired candidates in WAEC examinations.

    It said such candidates were also affected by the lack of or inadequate sign language interpreters during examinations, and mixing them with hearing candidates in the examination hall.

    These, it said, had left them with unencouraging performances at WAEC examinations.

    It said while such candidates performed better in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), they did not do well in West African Senior Schools Certificate Examinations (WASSCE), especially in English and Mathematics.

    An assessment test accommodations conducted by the Accra Section of WAEC from 2016 to 2021 revealed that with the exception of 2019 and 2020 that hearing-impaired candidates did well in their examinations, their performance over the years, especially in English Language, Mathematics and Integrated Science in WASSCE had not been encouraging.

    Seminar

    The acting Head of the Accra Section of the Research Department of WAEC, Kwaku Dankwa, who made the disclosure at a virtual seminar to deliver the findings of the assessment, said from the test assessment, the reasons identified for the poor performance of the candidates in their examinations included unsuitable questions, language barrier, limited vocabulary, absence of learning outside the classroom, poor language and poor spelling.

    He said the hearing-impaired saw English Language as a barrier because they were taught in sign language although they were examined in English Language.

    Furthermore, he said, the hearing-impaired had limited vocabulary because in the sign language, they did not sign every word for which reason they were not familiar with some of the words they met during examination, hence they did not understand them to enable them to answer the questions properly.

    “The kind of incidental learning that the hearing child have an advantage of, they don’t have that. At any point in time, somebody has to be with them trying to explain things to them using sign language because that is the mode of learning they are used to,” he added.

    Stats

    Mr Dankwa said WAEC, as the examining body, would engage stakeholders such as the Ministry of Education to reduce the challenges hearing-impaired candidates faced in their examinations in order that they were not left behind.

    In 2016 for instance when 158 hearing-impaired candidates sat for the WASSCE, male hearing-impaired candidates who had between grades A1 to C6 in English Language were 11.4 per cent, while the females were 8.1 per cent.

    That of Mathematics for the same grades were 9.4 per cent for males and 4.8 per cent for females, while for Integrated Science in the same year, 4.8 per cent females scored grades A1 to C6 and the males had 9.4 per cent.

    Mr Dankwa said the respondents suggested that WAEC should make available sign language interpreters during examinations; recruit special education practitioners and sign language experts to mark scripts of hearing-impaired candidates; modify questions for hearing-impaired candidates as alternative papers, and examine sign language as a core subject as an alternative to English Language.

    On the way forward, the assessment called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) to train and post more special education experts and teachers who understand sign language to the special and inclusive schools to help hearing-impaired students to build the needed vocabulary.

    It further called for WAEC to explore the use of alternative assessment test formats which focused on standard sign language and objective responses such as fill-ins.

    Discussion

    During the open discussion segment, some hearing-impaired students said when announcements were made during examinations, there were usually no sign language interpreters to interprete to them, causing them to make mistakes.

    The Chairman for the programme, Prof. Samuel Kweku Hayford, of the Department of Special Education, University of Education, Winneba, remarked that sign language was being seriously taken care of in the education review policy.

    He called for efforts to develop sign language so that right from kindergarten, children would be introduced to it.

    The assessment

    The study population included all hearing-impaired students and their teachers in the 15 public schools for the deaf in Ghana; heads of schools for the deaf; special education coordinators from GES, WAEC officers, special education lecturers, hearing-impaired university undergraduates in Ghana and officials of the Ghana National Association for the Deaf.

  • WASSCE candidates advised to desist from malpractices

    Candidates writing this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in the La Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LaDMA) have been advised to desist from all forms of examination malpractices, but study hard to come out with flying colours.

    ‘Handling of foreign material, copying, asking or teaching friends and others could lead to your exam papers being cancelled by the the West African Examination Council (WAEC) or you could be arrrested by the police and imprisoned’ .

    The Member of Parliament (MP) for La Dade-Kotopon Constituency, Ms Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, gave this advise on Thursday when she and others visited candidates at Labone and Presbyterian Senior High Schools (SHS) in her constituency.

    Accompanying her was the Municipal Director for Education of LaDMA, Ms Habiba Kotomah.

    They had earlier visited St Thomas Aquinas and Forces Senior High Schools within the municipality.

    The visit was to monitor and motivate the candidates writing this years WASSE exams which started on August 1 to end on September 27.

    She stressed the need for the candidates to approach every subject and topic wholeheartedly, focusing on straight forward answers without wasting too much time.

    “Tackle easier questions first before moving on to more challenging ones to save time,” Ms Sowah said.

    The MP told them to read through the questions and be sure they understood them perfectly before attempting to answer it so that they don’t get confused and start cancelling.

    She stressed the need for candidates to prove their worth by passing their exams with flying colours as parents and teachers had done their best for them.

    Ms Kotomah said this year’s exams had been smooth and encouraging since it started expressing the hope that there would be no challenges to the end.

    However, she explained that there had been few lateness in schools within the municipality and urged parents to assist their wards to report to the examination halls early.

    She reminded parents that any students who reported to the examination hall 30 minutes after the exams had started would not be allowed to write that oparticular paper.

    Ms Kotomah urged the candidates to be positive in their minds and know that once their friends had done it they could equally go through it succesfully.

    Mrs Rejoice Akuah Acorlor, Headmistress of Labone SHS  and Madam Juliana Mensah, Headmistress of Presbyterian SHS thanked the MP and her team for taking time off their schedules to visit and motivate the pupils to be disciplined,  determined and aim high by looking at a brighter future after the examination.

    About 2,620 candidates from four SHS in LaDMA are participating in this years WASSCE exams making up of 964 from Labone SHS; 668 from St Thomas Aquinas, 578 from Forces and 407 from Presbyterian SHS.

    Source: The Ghanaian Times

  • Scrap WAEC immediately – Council for Private Schools tells gov’t

    The Ghana National Council for Private Schools (GNACOPS) has demanded that the government remove the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) from Ghana’s education system as soon as possible.

    The Council contends that the examination body is no longer relevant and has not made much progress in the nation’s educational system.

    The group also claimed that the WAEC is impractical and ignorant when it comes to fostering students’ development, which will ultimately make it difficult for Ghana to get out of its long-term economic and developmental difficulties.

    The GNACOPS position on WAEC is in response to the exam body’s most recent findings regarding the 2022 West African Senior Schools Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    WAEC’s report criticized private schools for flouting the exam-related laws and regulations documented by the examination commission.

    The examination body further alleged that over 20 people have been detained at private schools’ examination centres for allegedly impersonating candidates in the ongoing WASSCE.

    However, speaking to the media on Wednesday, September 21, the National Executive Director for GNACOPS, Enoch Kwesi Gyetuah, disputed the claims by WAEC that malpractice was pervasive in private schools.

    “Private school owners and their teachers that are linked to these exam centres are not allowed to be part of the team that will monitor the exams,” he added.

    According to Mr Gyetuah, the assertions by WAEC are devoid of legal findings and evidence hence, the public should pay no heed to WAEC’s accusations against private schools.

    Meanwhile, Executive Director for GNACOPS has encouraged WAEC to deploy scannable machines to exam centres to help address impersonation and other exam malpractices rather than apportioning blame to private schools.

    “WAEC should have been able to adopt technological structures to eradicate most of these rampant issues that they have been complaining about all the time,” Mr. Gyetuah emphasized.

    The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) was founded in 1952 by the governments of Ghana (then Gold Coast).

    WAEC Ghana examinations in the public interest, awards certificates, and ensures that the certificates issued do not represent lower standards of achievement than equivalent certificates issued by examining authorities in the United Kingdom.

    On the other hand, Ghana National council of private schools (GNACOPS), is an advocacy and results orientation organization that is bent on promoting educational pluralism to the needy communities in Ghana.

    Source: The Independnet Ghana

  • Scrap of WAEC, it has outlived its purpose – National Council for Private Schools to government

    The government has been urged by the Ghana National Council for Private Schools (GNACOPS)  to abolish the West African Examinations Council  (WAEC) examinations.

    They argue that WAEC has outlived its usefulness and that failure in various disciplines has truncated the dreams of many students

    “Every government or every minister who is really ahead of time will collapse WAEC; because it is rather rendering our resources and retiring our youth.

    “Somebody goes to school for 9 years, 12 years, sits in WAEC exams let’s say WASSCE or BECE and then they will come and tell you that you have failed in Mathematics, you have failed English and because of that your line is truncated you can’t develop anymore,” 3news.com quoted the association.

    Their call is in reaction to a report by WAEC, which revealed that over 20 individuals have been arrested in various exam centres at private schools for allegedly impersonating candidates in the ongoing WASSCE.

    National Executive Director for GNACOPS, Obengfo Kwesi Enoch Nana Gyetuah said the claim lacks evidence as he called on WAEC to implore scannable machines to identify impersonators.

  • Quality education has not dipped under Free SHS – President Akufo-Addo

    President Akufo-Addo has disputed claims that the quality of secondary education has sharply declined under the Free Senior High School (SHS) Policy.

    Debunking the claims with figures, he said performance in the four core subjects English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies had improved significantly with the introduction of the policy.

    He noted that 33 per cent of WASSCE candidates passed Mathematics in 2016 but the figure went up to 54.1 per cent in 2021, adding that Mathematics formed the basis of technology and many other old and emerging fields.

    The pass rate in English Language went up to 54.8 per cent in 2021 from 53 per cent in 2016.

    “Integrated Science improved from 48.5 per cent in 2016 to 65.7 per cent in 2021 and Social Studies made the same improvement from 54 per cent to 66 per cent,” he said.

    Not only had more young people gotten access to education but there was a much higher rate in proficiency, the President said.

    “So, how can anybody turn round and say this thing has not been good. It has been a major contribution to the future of our country,” he said.

    Interacting with the people at Kasoa during his two-day tour of the Central Region on Friday, President Akufo-Addo said apart from expanding and developing infrastructure, there were also key reforms such as teacher motivation and access to quality textbooks.

    “These have been major contributions and in a few years time we will see that the policy has been an intervention that has really lifted the prospects of the development of our country,” he added.

    The President observed that skeptics of the Free SHS had changed their stance from “a bad policy to the fact that it could be implemented in a better way.”

    He said he was all for suggestions that would help improve the implementation of the policy because the benefit was for the next generation.

    “And if there is anyone with an idea on how the system can be made better, I will not stand in their way.”

    Responding to suggestions that the policy should be targeted at the poor, he insisted that he would not condone segregation in the delivery of education.

    “If you can afford to pay schools fees, you can take your wards to the private school for the fee paying exercise,” he said.

    The President said he was inspired by the story of the United States, which was a developing country in the beginning of the 20th Century but had reached the state of a developed country through a deliberate education agenda.

    On access, the President said the Free SHS had resulted in the biggest number of young people ever having access to senior high school education in the entire history of Ghana with 1,765,977 students since 2017.

    He noted that most of the beneficiaries would have been denied education owing to financial constraints.

    President Akufo-Addo insisted that the system was necessary to unearth the talents and fine brains needed for the development of the country.

    Source: GNA

  • WASSCE 2022: WAEC institutes measures to check examination malpractices

    The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has noted that it has instituted security measures to check examination malpractices in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    Serialisation of examination questions, collaboration with the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) to monitor the printing of question papers and the use of number combination padlocks in addition to ordinary padlocks for all security bags containing question paper packets, are some of the measures highlighted by the Council to check the practice.

    Also, the Council is working closely with some security agencies to track and arrest dealers and operators of rogue websites.

    Other measures include; the inspection of all depots nationwide and fortification of those that needed to be fortified, ensuring uninterrupted movement of question papers from strong rooms to depots and the creation of additional depots located close to schools to ensure that question papers do not arrive late and are released to candidates early.

    The Head of Public Affairs of WAEC, Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, who outlined these measures at a press conference on August 23, 2022, further noted that: “There will also be naming and shaming of schools that engage in malpractice to serve as a deterrent to others, as well as correspondence to the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service regarding reports received from concerned citizens about the collection of money and plans by certain schools to cheat.

    “There will be continued surveillance of these schools by the council’s team of inspectors and security persons in the course of the examination,” Ms Teye-Cudjoe added.

    About WASSCE

    The WASSCE is a standardised test in West Africa spearheaded by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). Students who pass the exam receive a certificate confirming their graduation from secondary education. 

    The exam is written by candidates in Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia and Ghana. Although Ghanaian candidates began the exam in August, candidates in the other West African countries started in May, in line with the pre-COVID academic calendar.

    The 2022 WASSCE is being administered to 422,883 candidates from 977 schools in Ghana. There are 673 public schools, an increase from 651 in 2021, and 304 private schools.

    However, the number of private schools has decreased from 314 in 2021 to 304 in 2022 due to the folding up of some of the schools. In all, 775 centres are being used for the examination, with 60 subjects involved, comprising four core and 56 electives for candidates to choose from.

    In line with the efforts to check examination malpractices, Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, noted that question papers will be issued not earlier than 45 minutes before the start of each paper and inspection at “malpractice-prone” areas will be enhanced.

    Participants in the media briefing.

    She, therefore, charged supervisors and invigilators to be guided by the rules of the examination by being vigilant and also refrain from taking their mobile phones into examination halls, saying: “They should not be agents of malpractice, as unfortunately as is the case sometimes.”

    She further called on the media to refrain from putting out unverified information on the conduct of the examination.

    “Let us be careful not to create unnecessary fear and panic among candidates in particular and society in general. This could send wrong signals on the conduct of the examination to the international community,” Mrs Teye-Cudjoe said.

    Mrs Teye-Cudjoe added that the council has made access arrangements for candidates with special needs, including Braille papers for the visually impaired, large print papers for candidates with low vision, additional time for visually and hearing impaired candidates, those with cerebral palsy and candidates with autism disorder.

    There would also be computers for use by candidates with cerebral palsy and those who are not blind but cannot read, she added.

     

  • Four students of Bolgatanga Technical Institute arrested after riot

    Four students of the Bolgatanga Technical Institute have been arrested in connection with violent activities at the school on Tuesday, August 2, 2022.

    The four, all male students were arrested for rioting and alleged possession of leaked examination papers.

    A police source said the suspects are being held in their custody for further investigations and possible prosecution.

    The source did not state when the police will commence prosecution.

    However, no arrest was made at the Bawku Technical Institute, where students also rioted and destroyed school property.

    At BOTECH, the students rioted in demand for the release of a teacher and a National Service personnel who were arrested by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) for allegedly leaking an examination paper, while at BAWKU TECH, students rioted because school authorities were strict on them not to engage in examination malpractice.

    The Upper East Regional Security Council (REGSEC) led by the Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, has shut down both schools upon advice from the Ghana Education Service (GES) and management of the schools.

    Mr. Yakubu, directed that all final year students writing the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Examination will only come to school to write their papers and immediately leave back home.

    All students left their respective schools by 4:00pm on Monday, August 1, 2022.

    It is however unclear when the two schools will recall their students.

    Source: Citinewsroom.com

  • Govt releases GH¢50m to WAEC for WASSCE

    The government has made a part payment of GH¢50 million to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) for the money it owes the council for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates.

    With the payment, it is now left with about GH¢46.7 million, which is the outstanding arrears to be cleared by the government.

    The Head of Public Affairs of the WAEC, Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, made this known in an interview with the Daily Graphic.

    Ranking

    The Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament, Peter Kwasi Nortsu-Kotoe, had warned that WAEC might be forced to postpone the 2022 School Candidates WASSCE, if government failed to release an amount of GH¢96,694,432.40 to enable it to engage in a number of pre-examination activities, including the payment of transportation and allowances for examiners, supervisors, invigilators and depot-keepers.

    Mr Nortsu-Kotoe, who is also the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Akatsi North, said information available to the Minority in Parliament indicated that to date, the Ministry of Education had not released any money to WAEC for the conduct of the 2022 WASSCE, which was expected to commence from August 1, 2022.

    He said four other countries that constituted WAEC — Nigeria, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Liberia — had all conducted their 2022 WASSCE already leaving out only Ghana and so, any further delay of the release of funds to WAEC could lead to the postponement of the examination.

    Assurance

    But Mrs Teye-Cudjoe gave an assurance that the WASSCE for school candidates would come off, adding that the examination was not in limbo as was being speculated.

    “We have always been sure that the examination would be written. The examination is not in limbo,” she emphasised.

    Mrs Teye-Cudjoe indicated that the council was very prepared for the examination, adding that it was starting with the project work for Visual Arts from August 1, 2022 to August 19, 2022 to end the practical works.

    The written aspect would then commence on August 24, 2022.

    Parallel exam

    The Head of Public Affairs of WAEC explained that candidates in Ghana were going to have parallel examination questions with the same difficulty levels like the ones the candidates wrote in the other four member countries.

    “The questions would have the same difficulty levels and would not be the same questions that the candidates in the other countries wrote, because the past questions are already out there and we cannot write the same thing,” she emphasised.

    Mrs Teye-Cudjoe advised candidates who would be writing in Ghana to be on the look-out for persons who would lie to them that they had the questions and that they should part with some money, if they wanted them.

    Astray

    The candidates, she said, should, therefore, stick to their books and not allow themselves to be misled by some persons.

    Regarding security, she said all the requisite and enhanced security measures had been put in place for a smooth conduct of the examination.

    “We have put in place enhanced security measures with the collaboration of the external security agencies. We have also done a few other things that we would like to keep to ourselves, so we are ready for the examination,” she said.

    Source:graphicsonline.com

  • WAEC releases provisional results for WASSCE 2021

    Provisional results from the West African Examination Council (WAEC) for candidates who sat for the 2021 West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) have been released.

    WAEC, according to a statement, said that it will make login details available to heads of schools so that their students are able to access the platform.

    “The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) wishes to announce for the information of the general public that it has released provisional results of candidates, who sat for the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2021 in Ghana. The Council will make available login details to Heads of school to enable them print the statement of results of their candidates. candidates are therefore advised to contact their Heads of school for their results,” the statement said.

    Also, for people looking to individually check their results, WAEC says it has made arrangements for them through a short code system.

    “Meanwhile, the Council has hosted the results online and candidates who so desire, may access their results at the Council’s website or dial the short code *944#,” it said.

    The statement also appealed to all candidates to be on the lookout so they do not fall prey to scammers during this stage.

    “The Council is cautioning all stakeholders especially candidates to be on the alert and not fall prey to the activities of scammers who promise to upgrade results for a fee. Candidates are to note that all WAEC results are secured and can be authenticated. Institutions are therefore urged to always verify results presented to them to expose incidents of forgery,” the statement said.

    In all, a total of 446,352 candidates, made up of 221,439 (49.6 %) males and 224,913 (50.4 %) females from 965 schools entered for the examination.

    This figure is 18.8% higher than the 2020 figure of 375,763. A total of 3,545 (0.79 %) of the candidates who registered were absent from the examination, the statement said.

    Provisional results from the West African Examination Council (WAEC) for candidates who sat for the 2021 West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) have been released.

    WAEC, according to a statement, said that it will make login details available to heads of schools so that their students are able to access the platform.

    “The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) wishes to announce for the information of the general public that it has released provisional results of candidates, who sat for the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2021 in Ghana. The Council will make available login details to Heads of school to enable them print the statement of results of their candidates. candidates are therefore advised to contact their Heads of school for their results,” the statement said.

    Also, for people looking to individually check their results, WAEC says it has made arrangements for them through a short code system.

    “Meanwhile, the Council has hosted the results online and candidates who so desire, may access their results at the Council’s website or dial the short code *944#,” it said.

    The statement also appealed to all candidates to be on the lookout so they do not fall prey to scammers during this stage.

    “The Council is cautioning all stakeholders especially candidates to be on the alert and not fall prey to the activities of scammers who promise to upgrade results for a fee. Candidates are to note that all WAEC results are secured and can be authenticated. Institutions are therefore urged to always verify results presented to them to expose incidents of forgery,” the statement said.

    In all, a total of 446,352 candidates, made up of 221,439 (49.6 %) males and 224,913 (50.4 %) females from 965 schools entered for the examination.

    This figure is 18.8% higher than the 2020 figure of 375,763. A total of 3,545 (0.79 %) of the candidates who registered were absent from the examination, the statement said.

    See the full statement here:

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • This former Spelling Bee champion went on to score 8As in WASSCE and is now a doctor

    In 2011, she got her biggest break in life when she participated and eventually won the coveted tag as the champion of that year’s Spelling Bee.

    Jessica Penu was only 12-years-old at the time and a student of the Angels Specialist School.

    According to a post by The Spelling Bee – GH page on Facebook, her winning word was “Velocipede.”

    This win gave her the opportunity to represent Ghana in the Scripps Spelling Bee, US, being the only African.

    “I got to spell in front of Dr. Jacques Bailly, someone I’ve admired for very long,” she said of her experience, the Spelling Bee page said.

    Jessica went on to attend the Wesley Girls’ Senior High School and came out with flying colours – she scored 8As in her WASSCE.

    From there, she proceeded to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), where she studied medicine and was inducted into the Ghana Medical and Dental Council in October 2021.

    In 2011, she got her biggest break in life when she participated and eventually won the coveted tag as the champion of that year’s Spelling Bee.

    Jessica Penu was only 12-years-old at the time and a student of the Angels Specialist School.

    According to a post by The Spelling Bee – GH page on Facebook, her winning word was “Velocipede.”

    This win gave her the opportunity to represent Ghana in the Scripps Spelling Bee, US, being the only African.

    “I got to spell in front of Dr. Jacques Bailly, someone I’ve admired for very long,” she said of her experience, the Spelling Bee page said.

    Jessica went on to attend the Wesley Girls’ Senior High School and came out with flying colours – she scored 8As in her WASSCE.

    From there, she proceeded to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), where she studied medicine and was inducted into the Ghana Medical and Dental Council in October 2021.

    Today, now known as Dr. Jessica Penu, she works at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

    Today, now known as Dr. Jessica Penu, she works at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

  • WASSCE practical paper for Food & Nutrition did not leak WAEC

    The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), says reports about a supposed leakage of the Food and Nutrition Practical paper of the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), are untrue.

    Addressing the media on Monday, August 23, 2021, the Head of the Ghana Council of WAEC, Wendy E. Addy-Lamptey, stressed that “the information put out by EduWatch about the alleged leakage… is untrue, misleading and is creating anxiety among the candidates and our public”.

    The reports about a leak for the August 20 paper were put out by the African Education Watch Executive Director, Kofi Asare, via his Facebook page.

    Mr. Asare claimed at the time that he had reported the leak to WAEC.

    Mrs. Addy-Lamptey explained that guidelines for the Food and Nutrition Practical are however released early to help schools prepare adequately for the practical examination.

    “It is purely to enable the teachers to prepare for the conduct of the actual paper, which was taken on Friday, 20th August,” Mrs. Addy-Lamptey said.

    “The paper clearly contains only guidelines and was already in the public domain, hence we are surprised that somebody picks it up and refers to it as a leaked document,” she added.

    Moving forward, Mrs. Addy-Lamptey urged Ghanaians “to not create unnecessary tension, fear, and panic”.

    “Local and international bodies that use our results for the admission of Ghanaians into tertiary institutions may doubt the credibility of certificates, making the Ghanaian child the ultimate loser.”

    She further indicated that effective mechanisms have been put in place to ensure the administration of a credible examination.

    Past tension with Africa Education Watch

    WAEC considered suing Africa Education Watch earlier in 2021 over a report on its assessment of the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    The report alleged a number of irregularities witnessed during the period of the examination.

    But WAEC said the report was fraught with factual inaccuracies and misleading.

    The 2020 WASSCE had some papers leaked before sittings.

    Confidential information on examiners was also leaked, prompting a report to the Cyber Crime Department of the Ghana Police Service by WAEC.

    Source: citinewsroom.com

  • Wesley Girls, six others come tops in WASSCE ranking for Central Region

    Best performing schools in the 2020 National West Africa Secondary Schools Certificate Examination (WASSCE) rankings for the Central Region have been awarded with citation of merit.

    The ceremony, which was to motivate hard working teachers, students and their schools, saw seven schools receiving the awards.

    Wesley Girls Senior High School (SHS) was adjudged the Best Performing School in the region, followed by St. Augustine’s College, and St. Theresa’s Seminary at Amisano.

    Holy Child School, Ghana National College, Mfantsipim School and Bisease Ajumako SHS, followed in that order.

    Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Minister of Education, said the Government was laying a solid foundation where education would be the driver to transform the socio-economic fortunes of the nation.

    That, he said, would in no time help to realise the Ghanaian dream where people would live a fulfilled life.

    According to him, the performances of the free SHS graduates indicated that the policy was not a mistake but a necessary intervention, which had come to transform the country.

    He said but for the Free Senior High School Policy, many students could not have made it to the secondary school.

    Dr Adutwum expressed delight about the performance of the free SHS graduates and said it gave hope for the country.

    He commended the students for their hard work and discipline in the schools, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Dr Adutwum advised the students not to decry their present conditions but remain determined, focused, put in extra efforts in their studies and in the end, success would be their portion.

    “You do not have an excuse not to be successful if you are in St. Augustine’s College or any of the schools receiving an award here. Train yourself and perceive opportunities to take you far. Study hard and something good will happen to you,” he said.

    He urged the schools to keep the hard work and maintain their reputation saying the rest of the schools were also aiming to receive awards in the coming years.

    Dr Adutwum encouraged the students to take advantage of the free SHS to fulfill the vision of the Ghana beyond Aid.

    “Your determination to succeed is what will propel us into that kind of country where our better days will always be ahead of us,” Dr Adutwum said.

    Madam Martha Owusu Agyemang, the Central Regional Director of the Ghana Education Service (GES), urged the region to maintain its pride as the citadel of education in Ghana.

    She was not happy about the region’s performance in the recent WASSCE and urged all stakeholders to continue to collaborate to recapture their positions.

    Madam Agyemang described the awards scheme as timely, which offered the schools the opportunity to reflect on their achievements and the envisaged successes.

    Awards, she noted, encouraged competitive spirit and expressed the hope that it would ginger students to work harder in their academic pursuits and teachers to give of their best.

    Source: GNA

  • SoNA 2021: Government began full absorption of WASSCE registration fees in 2020 Akufo-Addo

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has disclosed that his government has begun absorbing registration fees for candidates writing the West Africa Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) in public schools across the country.

    According to the President, the absorption of WASSCE registration fees forms part of several interventions by his government at the Senior High School level.

    Delivering the State of the Nation Address (SoNA) in Parliament on Tuesday, 9 March 2021, President Akufo-Addo said: “Government is facilitating the acquisition of 280,000 laptops for members of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers Association.”

    He further disclosed that the Minister for education will soon “detail an action plan for the implementation of the National Teacher Policy.”

    President Akufo-Addo added that: “Government has also introduced several interventions at the High School level, some of these are the GHS198 million academic intervention programme dedicated for extra classes for students in SHS.

    “Implementation of free internet connectivity for secondary schools, full absorption of BECE registration fee for all for students in public junior high school from 2017 till date, and full absorption of WASSCE registration fees for students, which started last year.”

    Meanwhile, the President has also revealed that government through the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) will introduce new measures to curb examination malpractice among examination candidates in the country.

    “A key objective of our effort to improve quality education and ensure that our students become globally competitive is to maintain the integrity of our examinations and assessment.

    “In connection with this, government, working through WAEC, will introduce new measures to curb examination leakages and malpractices,” Nana Akufo-Addo stated.

    Source: Class FM

  • Top American universities chase 2020 best WASSCE candidate from Mfantsipim School

    Cecil Tetteh Kumah, a 16-year-old student of Mfantsipim School, Cape Coast, who emerged overall best candidate in the West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) 2020 has made history as one of the few people in the world to have the luxury of ‘bouncing’ offers from IVY League institutions.

    The 16-year-old, who went out of Kwabotwe’s National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) team to concentrate on his international exams, will also be presented with an award by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) for emerging as the best candidate in Science in a special ceremony on March 11, 2021.

    A congratulatory message shared by Aikins Educational Consult, the institution which helped to prepare Mr. Kumah for SAT, has revealed that all marks scored by the candidate were in the 99% bracket, an exceptional performance which attracted offers from top American universities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Columbia University in New York.

    BELOW IS THE FULL STATEMENT

    Every year, the mighty Aikins Educational Consult has the peculiar task of grooming, training, and harnessing students’ endless potentials to propel them to the next level of their academic ladder. This is where the colossal giants, undying gods, and hard-boiled immortal brains emerge, and that was where Cecil was discovered – a sixteen-year-old boy who distinctively stood tall among his peers and seniors in both academia and profound maturity, “Efie Nyansa.”

    The beauty of these three months of studies lies in the fact that it is not solely for academic work but also to learn about life in general and coexist with rich, poor, smart, and not too smart. This holistic educational experience bridged every gap of difference and fostered the spirit of unity among students from all walks of life.

    I was surprised when Cecil opted out of 2020 NSMQ to concentrate on his pursuit into any IVY LEAGUE. I knew it was a done deal for Mfantsipim School if he was in, but he had his plans. He left the team to their fate, paving the way for the six, which would have been problematic. LOL

    Months on, SAT(reasoning test) and the subject test came out. My oh my, all scores were in the 99th percentile bracket. (Math 790/800, Verbal 770/800, High math 800/800, and Physics 800/800)

    The next hurdle to jump was to choose between MIT and Columbia. His academic prowess was so admirable, to the point where MIT and Columbia Admission officers had to engage in a tug of war to lure this young man into their prestigious institutions.

    For the past sixteen years, back to back, our students have won this coveted WAEC award and this year. What baffles me is how a teenage boy who had already gained admission into Columbia University in the City of New York months before taking his WASSCE exams was not distracted by his enviable academic milestone and managed to bag this covetous award when nothing was really at stake for him.

    This shows that he is naturally gifted, and we want to congratulate Master Cecil Tetteh Kumah for chalking this proud achievement.

    Source: Lord Kweku Sekyi, Contributor/ ghanaweb.com

  • 2021 WASSCE to be written in Sept/Oct; BECE in Nov GES

    The Ghana Education Service (GES) has said it is in discussions with the West African Examination Council (WAEC) for the 2021 West African Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to be moved to September/October.

    It has also recommended that the 2021 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) take place in November.

    The Director-General of the GES, Professor Kwasi Opoku Amankwa, said the proposal is to allow students to prepare adequately for the exam.

    “Per our arrangements, we expect that the next exams will be written in September/October, and we have already started discussions with WAEC on that,” he said at a press conference in Accra on Monday, 4 January 2020.

    He added: “We needed to make provision for marking and release of exam results and reopening, so, if we decide on October/November, it will be difficult for WAEC to release the exam [results] early enough for admissions to take place in January.”

    “So, per our calculation, we have proposed September /October, and we noticed that when we use these dates, we would have covered 1,700 hours and will only be short of one-hour contact period which we can always make up for,” he added.

    Professor Opoku Amankwa also expressed optimism that the exit examination timetables would revert to their normal dates by 2023.

    “Looking into the future, WASSCE will be held in July/August and BECE in September for 2022. In 2023, WASSCE will then come back to our normal date which is May/June and then BECE will follow suit,” he said.

    Source: Class FM

  • ‘Excellent WASSCE results have shamed free SHS critics, naysayers’ Akufo-Addo

    The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has applauded the first batch of beneficiaries of the Free Senior High School policy for their excellent showing in the 2020 West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    According to President Akufo-Addo, “I am reliably informed that the WASSCE results of Aburi Girls Senior High School, and, indeed, of all 2020 SHS graduates, was extremely impressive. Those who claimed that the policy was not achievable must be very ashamed now. I will shelve that conversation for now so we deal with it another day.

    The President continued, “However, I wish to congratulate all the students for their brilliant performance in WASSCE examinations,” President Akufo-Addo said.

    President Akufo-Addo made this known on Monday, 23rd November 2020, when he addressed party faithful and traditional rulers at Aburi, on day 2 of his 2-day tour of the Eastern Region.

    Indeed, the 2020 results of the WASSCE candidates is the only year in the past six (6) years that more than fifty percent (50%) of candidates who sat the examination obtained A1-C6 in all core subjects.

    Further analysis of the 2020 results revealed that performances in Mathematics and English Language were the highest, recording 65.71 and 57.34 per cent, respectively. Social Studies and Integrated Science recorded 64.31 and 52.53 per cent, respectively, the checks further indicated.

    The data also shows that about 60% of the 342,500 candidates who wrote the WASSCE, representing over 200,000, scored between A1 and C6 in their best six subjects, including English and Mathematics, which qualifies them for tertiary education.

    Source: presidency.gov.gh

  • 2020 WASSCE: Weve proved critics wrong – Education Ministry

    The Ministry of Education (MoE) has asserted that the free Senior High School (SHS) policy that saw a record high in the number of students being admitted to SHS rather increased performances of students as opposed to what critics predicted would be otherwise.

    This comment comes on the back of the recently released West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results of the first batch of free SHS graduates who evidently performed better than previous students under the erstwhile government.

    The Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the Ministry of Education, Kwasi Obeng-Fosu, has stated that the government has been vindicated for implementing the free SHS policy that gave unprecedented access to Senior High School for all in Ghana with the just-released WASSCE results.

    “The first batch of free SHS students has done very well and the government will keep on doing what it is doing to make sure that everyone goes to school. I remember when the free SHS policy was about to take off and it was alleged that we were putting access before quality. But the government was resolute and demanded that all children go to SHS”.

    He motioned that the free SHS policy gave students from less endowed schools the chance to higher and quality education and have matched up with their colleagues who were from privileged Junior High Schools. “Because of the free SHS, a student who had aggregate 41 in his BECE got the chance to enter PRESEC-Legon and emerged the best WASSCE student in Agricultural Science”.

    On his authority, the results of the 2020 WASSCE has seen students excel above the fifty per cent (50%) margin between the years 2014 and 2020. “You can compare from the previous regime and ours by striking the average and you would see that the 2020 WASSCE candidates did better in English than the previous regime. The performances of the students also doubled when it comes to Core Mathematics”.

    The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released provisional results of candidates who sat for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates in 2020 in Ghana.

    The results are said to be one of the best in Ghana in recent times.

    The provisional results indicate that there were improvements in the performance of candidates at Grades A1 to C6 in English Language and Mathematics (Core) in 2020 as compared to 2019.

    • English Language 48.96% in 2019 to 57.34% in 2020

    • Mathematics (Core) 65.31% in 2019 to 65.71% in 2020

    On the other hand, Integrated Science and Social Studies recorded a decline in the performance of candidates at Grades A1 to C6 in 2020 as compared to 2019 as follows:

    • Integrated Science 63.17% in 2019 to 52.3% in 2020

    • Social Studies 75.43% in 2019 to 64.31% in 2020

    Source: Happy 98.9FM

  • Ablakwa pays for North Tongu WASSCE candidates to access results for free

    The Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has announced that he has footed the bills of all 1,624 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) candidates in his constituency, to enable them access their examination results online.

    This follows the release of the 2020 WASSCE results.

    The North Tongu MP, in a Facebook post on Saturday, 14 November 2020, wrote: “Glad to announce that all 1,624 WASSCE candidates in my beloved North Tongu can now access their 2020 results just released by WAEC for free.”

    Mr Ablakwa added: “I have arranged with vendors to present their total bills to me for payment.

    Wishing all candidates the very best”

    Meanwhile, the West African Examination Council (WAEC) has cancelled the subject results of 2,383 candidates who sat the 2020 West African School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    The candidates had their results cancelled for “engaging in collusion, bringing foreign material to the examination hall and tearing part of their question papers to solicit assistance.”

    This was revealed in a statement issued by WAEC to on Friday, 13 November 2020 to announce the release of the provisional examination results.

    The Council further disclosed that it cancelled the entire results of 480 candidates for “bringing mobile phones to the examination hall.”

    Also, “the entire results of 384 candidates have been withheld pending the conclusion of investigations into various cases of examination malpractice detected during and after the conduct of the examination”.

    “In the meantime, scripts of candidates from 122 schools in certain subjects are undergoing scrutiny,” the statement noted.

    It added that “the withheld results of candidates may be cancelled or released based on the outcome of the investigations.”

    A total of 375,763 candidates sat the examination from 976 schools.

    It represents an 8.6 percentage rise in comparison to the 2019 population of 346,098.

    The Council noted that the release of the results follows “the completion of all post-examination processes.”

    WAEC also indicated that the “results of the candidates will be dispatched to their schools.”

    It, therefore, advised the candidates to go to “their heads of school for their results.”

    WAEC further disclosed that the Council has posted the “results online and candidates who so desire, may access their results” on its website.

    It also cautioned all “stakeholders, especially the candidates, to be wary of fake results websites and the activities of fraudsters who promise to upgrade results for free”.

    “Candidates are to note that all WAEC results are secured and can be authenticated.”

    Source: Class FM

  • Bright SHS teachers granted bail

    A Koforidua Circuit Court presided by Justice Mrs. Marian Afoh, has granted bail to five teachers and two drivers of Bright Senior High School (SHS), at Kukurantumi, in a sum from GH¢10,000 to GH¢15,000 with sureties.

    They all pleaded not guilty on all 10 charges which included; abetment of crime to wit assault, abetment of crime to wit causing unlawful damage, abetment of crime to wit stealing, four counts of assault, one count of causing unlawful damage, and two counts of stealing and are to re-appear on December 1, 2020

    .The accused persons are; Bright Amponsah 41, Proprietor of the Bright SHS, Abdul Aziz Amadu 28, a teacher, Batsa Eric Teye 28, a teacher, Abayah Aaron Teye 28, a teacher, Bernard Adom 30, a teacher, all of the Bright SHS, Batsa Simon Narh 26 and Fredrick Amegah 32, both drivers of the same school.

    Police Chief Inspector Thomas Yaro, presenting the facts of the case to the court said the complainants Messrs David Nii Djan Mensah, Mr. Alfred Okine Jerry, Mr. Jacob Addico, and Mr Emmanuel Asare are all officials of the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) in Accra.

    On August 6, at about 0830 hours, the complainants who were part of the WAEC inspectorate team arrived at the Bright SHS on their usual inspection of the on-going West Africa Schools Certificate Examination (WASCE), the candidates were then writing the social studies paper and a candidate was spotted by Mr. Jacob Addico, a member of the team possessing a foreign material at one of the examination halls.

    Mr. Addico, then asked the said candidate to hand over the foreign material, but he became agitated and started struggling with him, in the process, the other students writing the paper became infuriated and joined the said candidate to cause commotion in the examination hall and attacked him and started to beat him up.

    Bright Amponsah, proprietor of the school was at one of the entrances of the school trying to enter the hall but was prevented by Mr. Alfred Jerry Okine from doing so, which offended him and he started calling the students to come out and attack the WAEC official.

    The already agitated students heeded his call, and together with the accused persons, attacked the officials with stones, sticks, and other missiles.

    The complainants sustained various degrees of injuries, the accused persons also caused damage to an Infinix Hot 5 mobile phone belonging to Mr. Jacob Addico, Mr. David Nii Djan Mensah also lost an amount of GH2, 000 from his back pocket and a Huawei mobile phone while Mr. Emmanuel Asare also lost his iPhone 6s, a recording device and an amount of Gh150.00, in the cause of the attack.

    A distress call was made to the police and upon arrival at the scene, the accused persons were identified to the police and they were subsequently arrested, the complainants were issued with police medical forms to attend hospital for treatment, which they did and returned the forms duly endorsed by the Medical Officer of the New Tafo Akim Government Hospital.

    On August 17, an identification parade was conducted, during which eight other students were identified by the complainants as among those who attacked and assaulted them on the day of the incident.

    However, the other eight identified during the parade were at large, and they included; Narh Bana Ray Awartey, Angela Alanyo, Dunyo Ray, Derrick Aheku, Agbeve Stella, Abubakar Muhamed, Tetteh Solomon, and Ofosu Nicholas.

    Source: GNA

  • WAEC releases 2020 WASSCE results; cancels papers of 2,383 candidates

    The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has released the provisional results of the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE),

    According to WAEC, the release follows the completion of all its post-examination processes.

    “The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) wishes to inform its numerous public that it has released provisional results of candidates, who sat for the WASSCE for School candidates, 2020 in Ghana. This follows  the completion of all post-examination processes.”

    “The results of the candidates will be dispatched to their schools,” the statement added.

    WAEC made this known in a statement it issued today, Friday, November 13, 2020.

    Meanwhile, the subject results of some 2,383 have been cancelled.

    This, WAEC explains, is as a result of alleged examination malpractices by those candidates.

    “The subject results of 2,383 candidates have been cancelled for engaging in collusion, bringing foreign materials to the examination hall, and tearing part of their question papers to solicit assistance,” the statement added.

    About 2020 WASSCE

    The 2020 WASSCE commenced on July 20, 2020, and ended on Saturday, September 5.

    The examination was written by 313,897 candidates across the country.

    It began with practical subjects like basketry, painting and woodwork for Visual Arts candidates.

    Despite measures by the WAEC to ensure a smooth process, the examination had its fair share of rumoured question leaks purported to have originated from the Council.

    Some candidates rioted over the strict invigilation at their centres and, in the process, destroyed school property while using unsavoury language against state officials.

    The students who engaged in the unruly behaviour were dismissed by the Ghana Education Service (GES) but President Akufo-Addo intervened and asked that they be given a second chance.

    A total of 375,763 candidates from 976 schools sat for the examination representing “8.6% higher than the 2019 candidates of 346,098. The 2020 entry figure was made up of 187,581 (49.9%) males and 188,182 (50.1%) females.”

    Read the full statement from WAEC below:

    Source: citinewsroom

  • 4 examiners arrested over leakage of WAEC scripts

    Four examiners believed to have carelessly leaked the 2020 West African Examination Council scripts which were entrusted to them have been arrested.

    The four WAEC examiners were picked up from Accra, Cape Coast, Kasoa, and Adukrom after videos and photos of scripts that captured the details of students made rounds on social media.

    The Head of the Public Relations of WAEC, Agnes Teye-Cudjoe in an interview with Graphic described the incident as unfortunate adding that “the scripts, marking schemes and attendance mark sheets should be kept under lock and key anytime an examiner is not working on them.”

    Mrs Teye-Cudjoe entreated all examiners to handle marking schemes, scripts among others as security materials and ensure at all times that they do not “divulge information of candidates as contained in the letter engaging them as examiners.”

    She indicated that investigations revealed that a grandchild or a nephew-in-law to the examiners were behind the circulated videos and snapshots.

    The arrested persons according to the Head of Legal of WAEC, Rev. Victor Brew, would be handed over to the police to be charged and prosecuted under the Data Protection Act alongside WAEC’s rules and regulations on marking rules.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • WAEC sued over leakage of WASSCE examiners details

    A Civil Society Organisation, Africa Education Watch, has sued the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) over the circulation of a list of contact details of examiners for the 2020 WASSCE on social media.

    The plaintiff, in a suit filed at the Accra High Court on Tuesday, September 29, said the “careless” conduct of WAEC could compromise the just ended 2020 WASSCE results.

    In its statement of claim, the plaintiff argued that although WAEC had apologised and assured the public that the leaked list was not the final markers list, an SMS making the rounds suggest that the names on the leaked document had been invited to attend a coordination and conference marking of the 2020 WASSCE scripts.

    This, according to the plaintiff, was an indictment on WAEC and raised credibility and integrity issues about the marking standards of the 2020 WASSCE.

    The plaintiff is therefore praying the court to among other things order WAEC to set aside every purported list, meeting or appointments meant to mark and grade the results of all WAEC examinations until new appointments are made to exclude every name on the leaked documents making rounds in the social media.

    It also wants the court to restrain WAEC, their agents and assigns from purporting to act in any manner that contravenes the laid down rules, regulations and general principles regarding the conduct of external examinations in Ghana.

    Below is the writ of summons and statement of claim

    Source: Graphic.com.gh

  • Examination malpractice: 3 Rogue website operators arrested

    National Security has picked up three persons described as the kingpins behind rogue websites that solve examination questions and post them online while the exams are in session.

    The names of the suspects, picked up from separate locations in the Eastern, Central and Greater Accra regions, have been withheld as investigations are ongoing.

    The first one was picked up at Akim Akoroso in the Eastern Region, while the second and third ones were picked up at Kasoa in the Central Region and the Palace Mall, Spintex, in the Greater Accra Region respectively.

    The National Security has secured a court warrant to hold them in its custody pending further investigations and possible prosecution.

    The West African Examination Council (WAEC) at the commencement of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in August this year submitted details of more than 21 such websites to the security agencies for tracking to bring those behind them to book.

    Also included in the report to the security agencies was the harm those websites were causing to the generation and the nation as a whole.

    Subsequent to that, on September 8 and 9, 2020, personnel of the National Security were able pick up the three and are on the heels of others and their accomplices.

    Before and during the 2020 WASSCE, there were a number of reported cases of alleged examination papers circulating on social media, some of which were fake, while others were snapped at the commencement of the examination and uploaded on such websites and other social media.

    Breakthrough

    Briefing the Daily Graphic on the arrest conducted by the National Security operatives, the Head of Legal, WAEC, Rev. Victor Brew, said outfit viewed the move as a major breakthrough in the council’s effort to smoke out operators of such websites.

    He advised the public, especially the candidates, who were on such WhatsApp platforms where examination materials were shared for cash to immediately exit from such groups because the security agencies were closing in on such operators.

    He reminded the candidates that those WhatsApp groups had existed to serve the parochial interest of the operators, stressing that “they do not mean well for the candidates at all”.

    BECE candidates

    As the junior high school (JHS) final year students begin their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) today, Rev. Brew advised the candidates to be wary of those WhatsApp groups to save themselves from the temptation of the operators.

    He reminded the candidates that it was an offence to carry a mobile phone to the examination centre, particularly the examination hall, because it was against the WAEC Act and an infraction of the rules and regulation governing the examination.

    Rev. Brew said any candidate caught with a mobile phone would have his or her entire results cancelled.

    Section 6(b) of the WAEC Act 2006 (Act 719) states: “A candidate, who, during an examination is in possession of a textbook, an electronic device or material in the examination room without lawful authority, proof of which shall be on the candidate, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than 50 penalty units and not more than 100 penalty units.

    “Or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both, and the person shall in addition be disqualified from taking the examination and if the person has already taken a paper at the examination, the paper shall be cancelled by the council,” the Act states.

    Source: graphic.com.gh

  • Coronavirus: How students who have completed WASSCE will return home

    The Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) have jointly issued a guideline for the exit of students who have just completed the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and are returning home Friday, September 4, 2020 after a successful examination.

    Under the guidelines, any school where no positive case of COVID-19 has been recorded, the students can vacate and go home.

    Additionally, any school that recorded a positive case but has not reported any new positive case within the last two weeks, the students can vacate and go home, reports Graphic Online’s Severious Kale Dery on the Education Desk.

    This is contained in a statement jointly signed by the Director-General of the GES, Prof Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa and the Director-General of the GES Dr Patrick Kuma Aboagye and issued in Accra Thursday, September 3, 2020.

    After months of uncertainty and apprehension arising out of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, Senior high schools (SHSs) reopened to final-year students on June 22 for them to undergo six weeks of academic work up to July 31, 2020.

    That enabled them to prepare to write their final examination between August 3 and September 4, this year.

    The 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) finally kicked off for Ghanaian candidates in July.

    In all, 375,737 candidates from 976 schools took part in the examination at 796 centres throughout the country.

    Out of the figure, about 188,163 were females, while the remaining 187,573 were males.

    more to follow…

    Source: Graphic.com.gh

  • WASSCE: Schools that didn’t experience any coronavirus spikes can go on recess – GHS

    The Ghana Health Service has said Senior High Schools (SHS) that did not experience any COVID-19 related cases can go on recess.

    This comes after the government granted permission to allow for final year SHS students to undertake their West African Senior School Certificate (WASSCE) examinations.

    According to the Director-General of the GHS, Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye, any school that has not reported a positive case of COVID-19 in the last two weeks prior to their initial vacation date can also go on recess.

    Addressing journalists at a press briefing in Accra on September 3, the Director-General said, “However if there are any schools that have recorded any positive cases of COVID-19, they will be made to undergo some assessment of contacts with them having their exit from school a bit delayed.”

    Dr. Kuma Aboagye expressed delight over the low spike in cases of COVID-19 in most senior high schools amid the resumption for examination.

    He also urged all students to adhere to the safety protocols as they return back home.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • WAEC publishes names of 13 suspected 2019 WASSCE cheats

    The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has published the names and index numbers of 13 persons suspected to have been involved in examination malpractices during the 2019 West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for Private Candidates.

    The 13 suspects are to visit the Accra Office of the WAEC between August 26-28, 2020, to clear their names.

    In a public notice, WAEC said they are to assist the Council to conclude its investigations into alleged irregularities.

    “Candidates are being informed that their refusal to honour this invitation shall not prevent the Council from making a final determination in the matter,” the notice said.

    The 13 include; Kwayie Danquah Ama, Addison Owusu, Ernestina, Portia Armah, Aidoo Janet Danquah, Kwateng Pamela, Lilian Debrah Mensah, Ansah Kwaku Isaac Asempa and Spendilove Ahyemang Duah.

    The rest are; Agbeko Ebenezer Kobena, Adimah Elizabeth, Cobbina Aaron, Addaebi Ishmael and Cobbina Clement.

    Below are the names and index numbers of the 13

    Source: Graphic.com.gh

  • WASSCE 2020: It is too early to call for the cancellation of papers GNAT

    The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), has said calls for the cancellation of some leaked papers in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) were premature.

    Following the alleged leakage of the Core Mathematics, and Chemistry Practical exam questions, the Association has instead called for an investigation into the matter adding that WAEC must ensure that persons behind it are sanctioned this time around.

    “We have not been punishing these people enough. What you hear is cancellation of exams. If someone has been entrusted with things at WAEC and the person leaks the exams, I think they should be handed the severest punishment because the person is certainly not patriotic.”

    Speaking in an exclusive interview with GhanaWeb, the General Secretary of GNAT, Thomas Tanko Musah noted that, “To call for cancellation now will be premature” adding that “the laws of the land requires that when there is an issue, an investigation must be done. All the people involved must be given an opportunity to be heard… that is the right way to go.”

    In previous cases, the West African Examination Council have had to cancel papers they suspected were leaked prior to the exams and candidates made to rewrite the paper.

    Meanwhile, the Minority in parliament is pushing for the immediate cancellation of the WASSCE papers that leaked.

    A statement signed by the Member of Parliament for Builsa South and Deputy Ranking Member, Committee on Education, Dr. Clement Abass Apaak, noted that “WAEC, as a matter of urgency, must cancel the leaked and suspected leaked papers as it has done in the past.”

    Adding: “WAEC must also investigate the sources of the leakage of papers and the contact details of examiners, and hold to account the perpetrators of these crimes. WAEC must also ensure the safety of the remaining papers to avert the embarrassing situations we have witnessed the past few days.”

    GNAT, on the other hand, believes that a thorough investigation must be conducted to bring an end to this syndicate.

    Mr. Tanko Musah advised WAEC to be more “interested in having the matter investigated thoroughly in other to maintain its image in Ghana and beyond.”

    “Until this matter is investigated, we cannot take actions against anybody. If you proceed now, anybody can go to court and that decision will be set aside. So there should be a prima facie case that should be established, after, investigations conducted then based upon that, the necessary sanctions can be applied… WAEC should avail itself to get these things done, otherwise, it will dent their image.”

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • WAEC reportedly reveals names of 13 suspected WASSCE cheats

    Thirteen persons suspected to have engaged in examination malpractices during the 2019 West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for private candidates have been identified.

    The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) on Thursday published the names and index numbers of the 13 persons, adding they must turn themselves in at the Accra office of the WAEC between August 26-28, 2020 to clear their names.

    In a public notice, WAEC said they are to assist the Council to conclude its investigations into alleged irregularities.

    “Candidates are being informed that their refusal to honour this invitation shall not prevent the Council from making a final determination in the matter,” the notice said.

    They Kwayie Danquah Ama, Addison Owusu Ernestina, Portia Armah, Aidoo Janet Danquah, Kwateng Pamela, Lilian Debrah Mensah, Ansah Kwaku Isaac Asempa and Spendilove Ahyemang Duah.

    The rest are; Agbeko Ebenezer Kobena, Adimah Elizabeth, Cobbina Aaron, Addaebi Ishmael and Cobbina Clement.

    Source: Daily Mai

  • 2020 WASSCE leak: Reduce human interface, deploy more technology – GNAT

    The General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Thomas Tanko Musah, has called on the West African Examination Council (WAEC) to reduce the number of persons who come in contact with the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) questions to reduce the recurrence of leakages.

    Speaking to GhanaWeb in an exclusive interview, Mr. Musah who condemned the practice called for stricter measures to clamp down on persons behind the act.

    He added that WAEC should also tighten all the loopholes in the supply chain of exams questions.

    “WAEC has deployed several systems that can detect leakages…the most important thing is to reduce the human interface with the supply chain of the exams questions. We need to reduce it to the barest minimum and when the leakage happens the onus will lie on the people in whose hands we committed the papers to so that they know that when anything goes wrong they will not be spared.”

    According to reports, the Social Studies, Core Mathematics, and Chemistry Practical examinations questions were leaked on social media ahead of time.

    Ghana experiences exams leakages despite efforts to fight it. It is, however, unclear the source of the leaked questions. There has been an increasing call for exam body to ensure top-notch security in their ‘strong room’ to prevent exams-leakages.

    According to the General Secretary of GNAT, it has become necessary more than ever to bring to book persons who are found culpable of the crime.

    He is of the view that “we have not been punishing these people enough, what you hear is the cancellation of exams. If someone has been entrusted with things at WAEC, and the person leaks the exams, I think they should be handed the severest punishment because the person is certainly not patriotic.”

    Adding: “If people are found culpable especially in the supply chain of questions, there should be a severe punishment that will serve as a deterrent to people who will try to engage in that.”

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • WASSCE: Bright SHS proprietor charged amid calls to shutdown school

    Owner of Bright Senior High School (SHS) at Akyem Kukurantumi in the Eastern Region is set to be arraigned before a court following the disturbances that erupted in the school during the ongoing West Africa School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    Mr. Bright Amponsah has been charged with abetment of crime to wit assault, assault, and causing damage, police in the Eastern Region has said.

    His crime led to the assault of some officials of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and a journalist. He is said to have incited the students against them.

    The Proprietor, who was arrested and subsequently granted bail together with four other teachers of the school on Monday, August 10, 2020, reported at the Koforidua Divisional Command to further assist with investigations.

    The Koforidua Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent Kofi Adzie Tuadzra, who led the initial operation told Citi News the proprietor will soon be arraigned.

    “We picked up the proprietor and we began our investigation into the allegations that he mobilized students to assault WAEC officials. The case was left with the Tafo District Headquarters. They have carried out investigations and today the parties were brought here to know the way forward and by this weekend, we will know whether they will be taken to court.”

    “We are still doing investigations. As and when we find out that there is enough evidence to support the charges against them, we will know whether we will take them to court. But when we are done, we will definitely go to court”, he noted.

    While students of the school have been given a different examination centre, security has been beefed up at all centres to prevent any eventuality.

    Akyem Abuakwa Chiefs want Bright SHS closed down

    In a related development, pressure is already mounting on the Ghana Education Service and other stakeholders to close down the school.

    The Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council, which is leading the charge said in a statement through the state secretary Daniel Marfo Ofori Atta also called for the arrest and prosecution of the proprietor.

    Read the full statement below:

    DEMAND FOR THE CLOSURE OF BRIGHT SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

    It is the well-considered opinion of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council to hold up to its responsibility in relation to the affairs of the Bright Senior High School situated at Kukurantumi in the Abuakwa North District of the Eastern Region. Particular emphasis is the conduct over the past decade of the proprietor of the school, a certain Bright Amponsah.

    This statement is provoked by the incident of examination fraud of grave significance in direct relation to the assault of Mr. Gyan Mensah and Damolie Emmanuel Pacome, an official of the West African Examination Council and a reporter or the Daily Graphic respectively in their lawful duties to insist on fair conduct of WASSCE examination.

    The assault was instigated and ordered under the misdirection of Bright Amponsah, the proprietor of the rogue Bright Senior High School which for over a decade has been engaged in ultra-commercial and profiteering aims which runs against the established interest of the educational policy and integrity of the public examination.

    The above is not an isolated incident; it confirms several reports of corrupt and exploitative motives of Bright Senior High School.

    Of more importance to this matter and of illustrative and evidential significance is his bribery of certain officers of the West African Examination Council over the past decade.

    This situation is proven by the honesty of Mr. Gyan Mensah who decided not to bow to the filthy temple of indecency and corruption.

    The Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council takes this matter seriously.

    I am directed to express publicly that the results of the exam from the rogue Bright SHS are falsified.

    It has become evident that 90% of graduands of the Bright SHS drop out of public universities in their first year due to their lack of ability to meet the intellectual and academic demands of tertiary institutions.

    The Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council is most concerned with the fact of the abuse and degradation of its young mind and regrettably is unable to tolerate this situation.

    The Council finds the liberal attitude of public authorities on this matter as a radical deviation from a responsible attitude in terms of enforcement of the public policy.

    Also to the above, it has been noted that Bright SHS in terms of admission process and curriculum is in violation of all the protocols and regulatory measures of the Ghana Education Service. This point is proven without a doubt.

    The Council directs its decision in relation as stated above to live up to its customary responsibility to defend the interest of the youth and ensure integrity in public life.

    Further are reports of sexual abuse, which for the sake of lack of evidence I am not directed to relate.

    Finally, I am instructed by the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council and on the august permission of His Majesty Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin on the following measures divorced from any compromise:

    The closure of the Bright Senior High School with immediate effect.

    The arrest of Bright Amponsah, the proprietor of Bright Senior High School, and his immediate prosecution.

    On humanitarian grounds and fatherly consideration, the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council will assist in the rehabilitation of affected students; this is in consideration of their immediate and best interest.

    Further, a thorough investigation of the operations of Bright SHS over the last decade with particular concern with its dealings with certain officers of the West African Examination Council WAEC

    Also, to be emphasized and insisted, comprehensive auditing of the academic and social situation of Bright SHS by the GES and the police.

    D.M. OFORI-ATTA, STATE SECRETARY

     

    Source: Daily Mail

  • Okyenhene demands closure of Bright SHS, proprietor arrested

    Akeyem Abuakwa Traditional Council has written to the Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, demanding the immediate closure of Bright Senior High School located at Kukurantumi.

    The school was the scene of violent attacks on invigilators and a journalist during the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    The attack was allegedly instigated and ordered by Bright Amponsah, proprietor, who is said to have gotten furious because the invigilators, all staff of the Ghana Education Service, were being too strict on the WASSCE candidates.

    According to a statement issued under the hand of D.M. Ofori-Atta, the Secretary to Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, the violent incident confirms several reports of corrupt and exploitative activities of Bright Senior High School.

    “Of more importance to this matter and of illustrative and evidential significance is his bribery of certain officers of the West African Examination Council over the past decade,” the statement said.

    Mr Ofori-Atta said in the statement that the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council, backed by the permission of His Majesty Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, wants the Ministry of Education and allied agencies to take the following measures without compromise:

    – The closure of the Bright Senior High School with immediate effect.

    -The arrest of Bright Amponsah, the proprietor of Bright Senior High School and his immediate prosecution.

    – On humanitarian grounds and fatherly consideration, the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council will assist in the rehabilitation of affected students; this is in consideration of their immediate and best interest.

    – A thorough investigation of the operations of Bright SHS over the last decade with particular concern with its dealings with certain officers of the West African Examination Council WAEC.

    PUBLIC STATEMENT

    For immediate release

    DEMAND FOR THE CLOSURE OF BRIGHT SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

    10th August, 2020

    It is the well-considered opinion of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council to hold up to its responsibility in relation to the affairs of the Bright Senior High School situated at Kukurantumi in the Abuakwa North District of the Eastern Region. Particular emphasis is the conduct over the past decade of the proprietor of the school, a certain Bright Amponsah.

    This statement is provoked by the incident of examination fraud of grave significance in direct relation to the assault of Mr. Gyan Mensah and Damolie Emmanuel Pacome, an official of the West African Examination Council and a reporter or the Daily Graphic respectively in their lawful duties to insist on a fair conduct of WASSCE examination.

    The assault was instigated and ordered under the misdirection of Bright Amponsah, the proprietor of the rogue Bright Senior High School which for over a decade has been engaged in ultra-commercial and profiteering aims which runs against the established interest of the educational policy and integrity of public examination.

    The above is not an isolated incident; it confirms several reports of corrupt and exploitative motive of Bright Senior High School.

    Of more importance to this matter and of illustrative and evidential significance is his bribery of certain officers of the West African Examination Council over the past decade.

    This situation is proven by the honesty of Mr. Gyan Mensah who decided not bow to the filthy temple of indecency and corruption.

    The Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council takes this matter seriously.

    I am directed to express publicly that the exams results from the rogue Bright SHS are falsified.

    It has become evident that 90% of graduands of the Bright SHS drop out of public universities in their first year due to their lack of ability to meet the intellectual and academic demands of tertiary institutions.

    The Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council is most concerned with the fact of the abuse and degradation of its young mind, and regrettably is unable to tolerate this situation.

    The Council finds the liberal attitude of public authorities on this matter as radical deviation from responsible attitude in terms of enforcement of public policy.

    Also to the above, it has been noted that Bright SHS in terms of admission process and curriculum is in violation of all the protocols and regulatory measures of the Ghana Education Service. This point is proven without doubt.

    The Council directs its decision in relation as stated above to live up to its customary responsibility to defend the interest of the youth and ensure integrity in public life.

    Further are reports of sexual abuse, which for the sake of lack of evidence I am not directed to relate.

    Finally, I am instructed by the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council and on the august permission of His Majesty Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin on the following measures divorced from any compromise:

    -The closure of the Bright Senior High School with immediate effect.

    -The arrest of Bright Amponsah, the proprietor of Bright Senior High School and his immediate prosecution.

    – On humanitarian grounds and fatherly consideration, the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council will assist in the rehabilitation of affected students; this is in consideration of their immediate and best interest.

    Further, a thorough investigation of the operations of Bright SHS over the last decade with particular concern with its dealings with certain officers of the West African Examination Council WAEC.

    Also, to be emphasized and insisted, a comprehensive auditing of the academic and social situation of Bright SHS by the GES and the police.

    ……………………. D.M. OFORI-ATTA STATE SECRETARY

    THE HON. MINISTER FOR EDUCATION MINISTRIES ACCRA CC: The Director General. Ghana Education Service.

    The Director General West African Examinations Council

    Eastern Regional Police Commander Koforidua

     

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Akufo-Addo’s directive to GES to allow dismissed students write WASSCE good – Educationist

    Educationist and psychologist Mr. Samuel Richard Ziggah says the directive by President Akufo-Addo to the Ghana Education Service (GES) to allow the dismissed 14 students write their exams is a step in the right direction.

    GES last week issued a statement dismissing 14 students following recent acts of indiscipline and vandalism recorded in the ongoing West African Senior High School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    The students were also barred from writing their remaining exams organized by the West African Examination Council (WAEC).

    GES in its statement said the punishment was to “serve as a deterrent and to ensure that life and property are protected in schools”.

    But Mr. Ziggah in his view said the punishment was done in a rush and did not correspond with what the students did.

    He, has, therefore, commended the president for the directive he gave.

    Speaking on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm, Mr. Ziggah added the directive was not shocking because if it had not come, Ghanaians would have demanded for more answers.

    Meanwhile, he has alleged the students misbehaved because they were promised that they would be given the questions and even if they should fail, they would be passed.

    To him, authorities should have probed further before sanctioning the students.

    He said it was below the belt for the students to insult the president but they did what they did based on examples set by politicians who engage in insults in the media.

    He advised politicians to desist from engaging in politics of insults so they set good examples for our children.

    He has also asked for the GES to employ the services of counselors to counsel the students over the incident.

     

    Source: rainbownradioonline.com

  • Students involved in Ndewura Jakpa SHTS destruction to be surcharged MCE

    Students of the Ndewura Jakpa Senior High Technical School in the West Gonja Municipal Assembly of the Savannah Region who participated in the destruction of school properties during a protest are to pay for the damages caused.

    The students demonstrated last Wednesday evening against school authorities because of the strict social distancing and invigilation procedure implemented in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    In the process, some students damaged the new six-unit school block which was built to help end the double-track system for the school.

    The West Gonja Municipal Chief Executive, Saeed Muhazu Gibril said the rampaging students will be duly punished after an internal investigation is completed.

    He also added that the students found culpable will be made known to the Ghana Education Service for further action to be taken against them.

    “Those who are going to be found culpable for their involvement in the demonstration and destruction of government property are going to be surcharged. Apart from that, when we finish our investigation, we will forward the names to the GES headquarters for further action to be taken against these students. We are not mincing words on this because the extent of damage they did to school property, you cannot ask the central government to come and do the renovation,” he said.

    The rampaging students first destroyed the lightening system and plunged the whole school into darkness last Wednesday.

    Parts of the ceiling of a new six-unit classroom block that was handed over to the school to end double-track system were also removed.

    It took the intervention of the police to stop the students from causing further destruction in the school.

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • Akufo-Addo wants GES to reconsider punishment for 14 expelled 2020 WASSCE candidates

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has directed the Minister of Education, Matthew Opoku-Prempeh, to engage the Ghana Education Service (GES) to reconsider punishment meted out to 14 Senior High School students taking the 2020 West Africa Senior School Examination (WASSCE).

    The GES last week dismissed the 14 final year students who took part in chaos and destruction of properties in their schools after the Intergrated Sciece 2 paper of the ongoing WASSCE.

    They were also banned from taking the rest of the papers in the final year examination.

    The GES in a statement said the punishment was to serve as deterrent for other students who are still partaking in the exams.

    But a statement issued on Sunday, August 9, 2020, by the Director of Communicaitons at the Office of the President, Eugene Arhin, said even though the acts of indiscipline by the students are intolerable, the President is of the view that the dismissal alone is enough punishment.

    “The President believes that everyone deserves a second change in life, and is thus, hopeful that the students will be allowed by the GES to take their final examinations as scheduled,” the statement explained.

    Before the statement from the Presidency on Sunday, a former Deputy Minister for Education, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, had said the GES was too harsh in the punishment meted out to 14 students.

    The National Democratic Congress MP for North Tongu said although the acts of indiscipline and vandalism are condemnable, the GES seems to have killed an ant with a sledgehammer.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Student reportedly abandons WASSCE exams due to pregnancy at Vitting SHS

    A final year female student of Vitting Senior High School has reportedly abandoned her West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) papers due to pregnancy.

    The girl whose identity has been withheld is a final year Home Economics student at the Vitting SHS who got pregnant during the closure of schools due to COVID-19 and has since not returned for her WASSCE exams.

    Breaking the news to GhanaWeb, the headmaster of the school, Mr. Douglas H. Yakubu said the school made an arrangement for the girl to come and write the exams but she refused for fear of stigmatization.

    Mr. Douglass also expressed concerns over what is currently happening in some schools with regard to students going on a rampage.

    “All heads of institutions in Ghana should be concern about what is happening.” He said.

    He emphasized the need for headmasters to prepare the students, and let them understand that, it is for their own safety to write the papers peacefully and go home.

    “The exam is written once in a year and if you miss this year, you have to try next year and whether we will permit you to write it in the school is another question,” he advised.

    He further stated, that the students need to be talked to, let them understand that they need to sit up, prepare, study, and then write the exams.

    He also stressed that, they will not succumb to any pressure from anybody to allow the students to copy.

    Ghanaweb can, however, report that, the World Health Organization(WHO) safety measures were strictly adhered to, as 28 students were made to sit for a class.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • 2020 WASSCE: Providing students PASCO caused high expectation – Addae-Mensah

    A former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Ivan Addae-Mensah has blamed the disappointment being expressed by final year SHS students after their WASSCE paper on the provision of past questions by the education ministry to students.

    According to him, Senior High Schools over the years have prepared their students using past questions but the education ministry going the extra mile to provide the past questions to all students across the nation heightened expectations among the students.

    “Teachers know how to handle students in this situation, the students themselves from time immemorial use past questions… immediately you take this phenomenon out of the hands of the schools and you try and micromanage it from the educational authorities, you create a certain expectation in the students and I believe that something of the sort may have happened.

    “If the revision process had been left in the hands of the teachers and the students, maybe this expectation might not have been generated,” Prof. Addae-Mensah said Saturday on Analyses on Starr FM.

    His comments come after a reporter with the Daily Graphic in Koforidua, Damalie Emmanuel Pacome, was attacked by students of Bright Senior High School in Akyem Kukurantumi.

    The students holding knives, cutlasses, sticks and stones chased the journalist who was in the school to verify reports of attacks on invigilators by the students.

    Similarly, the students also clashed with invigilators over alleged intimidation.

    Several students in other schools have also attacked the president for providing them with questions which did not appear in their final exams.

    On Friday the Ghana Education Service (GES) dismissed some 14 final year students who are believed to have caused chaos and destroyed properties in their respective schools in the wake of the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    The GES in a statement said the action is to serve as deterrent for other students who are still partaking in the exams.

    Meanwhile, the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) has relocated its examination centre from the premises of Bright Senior High School to the Ofori Panin Senior High School following the student riot that occurred at the centre on Thursday.

    WAEC in a statement also noted it will not hesitate to sanction students and teachers of the school if they are found culpable in the rioting at their premises. Final year students of the school who are writing their exams on Thursday attacked an invigilator and a reporter over claims that supervision was strict during the exams. They were reportedly instigated by the proprietor of the school.

    Source: Starr FM

  • WASSCE violence: GES sacks 14 students

    The Ghana Education Service has dismissed some 14 final year students who are believed to have caused chaos and destroyed properties in their respective schools in the wake of the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    The GES in a statement said the action is to serve as deterrent for other students who are still partaking in the exams.

    Meanwhile, the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) has relocated its examination centre from the premises of Bright Senior High School to the Ofori Panin Senior High School following the student riot that occurred at the centre on Thursday.

    WAEC in a statement also noted it will not hesitate to sanction students and teachers of the school if they are found culpable in the rioting at their premises. Final year students of the school who are writing their exams on Thursday attacked an invigilator and a reporter over claims that supervision was strict during the exams. They were reportedly instigated by the proprietor of the school.

    “The Council strongly condemns the behavior of the proprietor and candidates of Bright SHS as reported and wishes to caution that such unruly behaviour contravenes Section 8 (1) of the WAEC Act, 2006 (Act 719) which frowns on and sanctions acts of assault on examination officials.

    “In order to ensure the integrity of the examination and safeguard the lives of examination officials (Supervisors, Invigilators and WAEC Officers) assigned to the centre, the Council has decided to, in the interim, relocate the centre from Bright Senior High School to Ofori Panin Senior High School effective Saturday, 8th August, 2020,” WAEC said in a statement Friday.

    Meanwhile, the Proprietor of the school located at Akyem Kukurantumi has been arrested.

    He was arrested Friday Morning by CID officials from the Eastern Regional Police Headquarters accompanied by the Akyem Tafo District Police Commander.

    None of the students has, however, been arrested.

    Meanwhile, a woman from the Ghana Education Service identified as Mama Adwoa who was slapped and her phone smashed by the rioting students had her phone replaced by the school authority.

    The Headmaster of Bright SHS on Thursday incited students numbering about 1000 to attack WAEC external invigilators for not compromising for his students to cheat.

    Source: Starr FM

  • Bright SHS no longer an examination center – WAEC

    The West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) has relocated its examination centre from the premises of Bright Senior High School to the Ofori Panin Senior High School following the student riot that occurred at the centre on Thursday.

    WAEC in a statement also noted it will not hesitate to sanction students and teachers of the school if they are found culpable in the rioting at their premises. Final year students of the school who are writing their exams on Thursday attacked an invigilator and a reporter over claims that supervision was strict during the exams. They were reportedly instigated by the proprietor of the school.

    “The Council strongly condemns the behavior of the proprietor and candidates of Bright SHS as reported and wishes to caution that such unruly behaviour contravenes Section 8 (1) of the WAEC Act, 2006 (Act 719) which frowns on and sanctions acts of assault on examination officials.

    “In order to ensure the integrity of the examination and safeguard the lives of examination officials (Supervisors, Invigilators and WAEC Officers) assigned to the centre, the Council has decided to, in the interim, relocate the centre from Bright Senior High School to Ofori Panin Senior High School effective Saturday, 8th August, 2020,” WAEC said in a statement Friday.

    Meanwhile, the Proprietor of the school located at Akyem Kukurantumi has been arrested.

    He was arrested Friday Morning by CID officials from the Eastern Regional Police Headquarters accompanied by the Akyem Tafo District Police Commander.

    None of the students has, however, been arrested.

    Meanwhile, a woman from the Ghana Education Service identified as Mama Adwoa who was slapped and her phone smashed by the rioting students had her phone replaced by the school authority.

    The Headmaster of Bright SHS on Thursday incited students numbering about 1000 to attack WAEC external invigilators for not compromising for his students to cheat.

    Source: Starr FM

  • Sack final year SHS students involved in reckless violence from boarding house GES

    Heads of the various Senior High Schools(SHSs) where final year students have been engaged in misconduct over “strict invigilation” and “social distance” at examinations halls have been directed to deboardnize all students found culpable.

    According to the Ghana Education Service(GES), the deboardnized students will have to commute from their homes to the various schools under parental supervision.

    Also, Headmasters of these schools have been directed to report all forms of criminality to the Ghana Police Service for investigations to be conducted and punishment meted out where necessary.

    The Service has also ordered that students established to be involved in the destruction of school property should be surcharged.

    The Ghana Education Service in its statement called on parents to speak to their wards to maintain high level of discipline and comportment because pleas for mitigation will not be accepted by the various schools.

     

    Source: My News GH

  • WASSCE clashes: CHASS calls for the provision of security for teachers

    Following recent reports of clashes between final year students and teachers in some senior high schools in the ongoing WASSCE exams, the National President of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) Alhaji Yacoub Abubarkar has called for the provision of security for teachers.

    On August 3, 2020, some agitated WASSCE candidates at the Tweneboa Kodua Senior High School in the Ashanti Region vandalised school properties on the basis that invigilators were being “too strict” during the exams.

    A similar incident has been reported today, August 6, 2020, at the Bright SHS in Akyem Kukurantumi where students demonstrated against teachers over alleged intimidation by external invigilators during their Social Studies paper.

    “We will request that, given the current situation we have, wheresoever there is a school with this type of challenge, it will be good for a number of police personnel to be allowed to stay within the vicinity to ensure that there is peace and calm,” Mr. Abubarkar advised.

    He noted that “once the students see that there are few policemen around, it will control their behaviour” to ensure the smooth process at examination centres across the country.

    All final year SHS students returned to school in June this year to prepare for their exit exams amidst the Coronavirus pandemic. There were reported cases of the outbreak of the virus in some schools despite the safety protocols that were implemented ahead of school reopening.

    The WASSCE which commenced on July 20, 2020, with a total of 313,837 candidates from Ghana will end on September 5, 2020.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Bright SHS WASSCE students reportedly attack reporter with sticks

    A reporter with the Daily Graphic in Koforidua, Damalie Emmanuel Pacome, has been attacked by students of Bright Senior High School in Akyem Kukurantumi.

    The students holding Knives, cutlasses, sticks and stones chased the Journalist who was in the school to verify reports of attacks on invigilators by the students.

    They reportedly accosted and seized his mobile phone in the school. Sensing danger, the Journalist took to his heels for safety but was pursued for about 15 minutes by the mob of students from the school towards the Kukurantumi township.

    Some of the students reportedly jumped on a motorbike to cross the Journalist on the way and hit him several times with sticks, seized his bag and attempted to lynch him but a Commercial driver rescued him into his vehicle.

    The Journalist is visibly injured with cuts on the face and part of the body.

    The journalist has lodged an official report at the Kukurantumi Police station where he has been issued Police Medical forms for treatment at the Community Hospital at Akyem Kukurantumi.

    Starr News Eastern Regional Correspondent Kojo Ansah reports that the students were heard saying “we have paid Ghc6000 bribes each you Journalists want us to fail. We will beat you up”.

    Background

    Some candidates of the ongoing West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination clashed with invigilators at Bright SHS in Akyem Kukurantumi over alleged intimidation.

    The Swift intervention by Armed Police Personnel from Akyem Tafo and Some BNI officials helped restore calm Thursday Morning.

    According to the students, the special deployment of external invigilators supervising the examination have been very strict disallowing them to even go out to urinate. The students say the situation is affecting them psychologically hence unable to write the exams

    Meanwhile, there is similar tension building up at Only Believe Senior High Technical School, a private school in Akyem Kukurantumi over similar alleged intimidation.

    Little over 1000 candidates are sitting the exams in the school. Some of the students on Wednesday protested against the situation.

    Source: Class FM

  • Height of indiscipline, insubordination and disrespect by SHS students must be condemned by all – Ablakwa

    Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has condemned the rude behaviour and vulgar language by some Senior High School (SHS) students towards President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo after writing their first final examination paper.

    Lots of videos went viral on social media days ago showing some students in various SHSs insulting the President because they relied on leaked examination questions which didn’t appear in their actual exams.

    The students, who are beneficiaries of the President’s free SHS programme, were disappointed that they couldn’t write their exams satisfactorily.

    With some of them demonstrating and vandalizing school properties, others also blamed the President for not helping them amidst fears they will fail the exams and so used unpalatable words on the First Gentleman of the land.

    Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa, addressing the issue, has cautioned his fellow legislators, politicians and the entire nation not to condone the student’s insubordination.

    “Vandalizing school property & insulting the President because you are not pleased with your exams must be the height of indiscipline, insubordination & disrespect which must be condemned by all. Education is not just about passing exams, it is more about shaping good character,” he tweeted.

     

    Source: Peace FM

  • Tweneboa Kodua SHS students apologise to school authorities, government for riot

    Final year students of the Tweneboa Kodua Senior High School in the Ashanti Region have rendered an unqualified apology to school authorities and government following a protest on campus.

    The riot which resulted in the destruction of properties was allegedly caused by the strict supervision of the headteacher of the school, during the writing of the WASSCE Integrated Science paper.

    Mr. John Asante had also been accused of manhandling some students and teachers during the exams.

    In a video circulating on social media, the students had threatened to boycott the exams if their headteacher is not removed from the examination hall.

    While the boys marched to the office of the District Chief Executive (DCE), the girls who stayed on campus refused to take food served at the dining hall.

    The police were subsequently called in to restore calm as the protest nearly halted the writing of Paper 2 of the Integrated Science exam.

    But in a new video that has gone viral, some students could be seen on their knees while a male colleague apologises for their behaviour which has been widely condemned.

    “On behalf of the entire students, I want to apologise first to the entire teaching staff, non-teaching staff, assistant headmaster, District Chief Executive, District Police Commander, Education Directorate and our dear headmaster. We are very sorry,” he said.

     

    Source: myjoyonline 

  • WASSCE candidates clash with invigilators at Akyem Kukurantumi

    Some candidates in the ongoing West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination have clashed with invigilators at Bright SHS in Akyem Kukurantumi over alleged intimidation.

    The swift intervention by armed police personnel from Akyem Tafo and Some BNI officials helped restore calm Thursday morning.

    According to the students, the special deployment of external invigilators supervising the examination have been very strict disallowing them to even go out to urinate.

    The students say the situation is affecting them psychologically hence unable to write the exams

    Meanwhile, there is similar tension building up at Only Believe Senior High Technical School, a private school in Akyem Kukurantumi over similar alleged intimidation .

    A little over 1,000 candidates are sitting the exams in the school. Some of the students on Wednesday protested against the situation.

    On Thursday they went beserk after the Social Studies paper and deflated the car tyre of an Invigilator identified as Mr. Acheampong in charge of a car with registration number AS 1471-X.

    Mr. Acheampong who is a registration officer in the ongoing Voters register abandoned his invigilation post.

    The private schools are alleging the deployment of many invigilators to their schools has political undertones.

    They believe it is an attempt by government to make private schools unattractive to discourage patronage by students not happy with quality of Education in Public Schools.

    “We are not happy about the deployment of many external invigilators to private schools on how they are intimidating our students. Psychologically it is affecting the students and we think it is politics just to influence performance of private schools to make it unattractive for Public Schools enjoying Free SHS to have glory”.

     

    Source: Starr FM

  • Four remanded Zebilla SHTS students denied access to write WASSCE

    Four final year students of Zebilla Senior High Technical School in the Upper East Region who have been remanded into Police Custody by a Bawku Circuit Court have been denied access to write the ongoing West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination(WASSCE).

    The students in the early hours of Monday, August 3, appealed to the Zebila Police Commander to allow them to join their colleagues to write the exams, but their request was declined.

    According to the Police, the suspect students return to custody could not be guaranteed, and sending them to the examination hall under armed guard could create an intimidating atmosphere for the other candidates.

    In an interview with TV3 monitored by Kasapafonline.com, the Headmaster of the School, Richard Ayabilah regretted the development but stressed that the due process must be followed.

    The students together with three others were accused of rioting, causing unlawful damage and disturbing of Public peace.

    Background

    Some students of the Zebilla Senior High Technical School( Zebilla Sectech) vandalized school property as well as the property of the headmaster over the seizure of their mobile phones by school authorities.

    The students, all third-years, went on the rampage on Saturday 25 July at about 9:30 pm, destroying school vehicles and other school property in protest against the seizure of their phones and punishment being meted out to them for possessing the phones and charging them through illegal electrical connections

    The enraged students sent teachers and other workers fleeing for their lives as they pelted stones and wielded sticks and clubs which were meant for whipping the teachers.

     

    Source: Kasapa FM

  • WASSCE: Teacher interdicted for exam malpractice

    The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, has directed that a Mathematics tutor of the Kade Senior High Technical School (SHTS) in the Eastern Region, Mr Evans Yeboah, be interdicted.

    Directive

    Briefing the Daily Graphic yesterday on the directive, he said Mr Yeboah, who was the invigilator of the Integrated Science paper in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), which was written last Monday, used his position to engage in examination malpractice.

    The directive, which took immediate effect, automatically bars the teacher from functioning as an invigilator at the WASSCE, pending the outcome of the investigations into the act.

    Prof. Opoku-Amankwa explained that Mr Yeboah had to step aside for the investigations to be carried out so that he would not interfere in the process.

    Mr Yeboah has been granted police enquiry bail by the Kade Police.

    His crime

    “He took a snapshot of the question and sent it outside for someone to solve and send the solution back to him via WhatsApp,” the GES boss stated.

    Explaining further, Prof. Opoku-Amankwa said Mr Yeboah was found dictating solutions on the phone to the candidates.

    He said the decision to interdict the teacher was to signal to stakeholders and the general public that the GES management would not countenance any misconduct irrespective of the person involved.

    Flawless exam

    Prof. Opoku-Amankwa said the GES was determined to ensure that the examination was devoid of any malpractices, indicating that “anyone who acts contrary will face the music”.

    The Director-General expressed worry that such activities were still taking place in spite of the strongly worded letters that were sent to district and regional directors of education to relay to all the schools.

    Warning

    Prof. Opoku-Amankwa said before the commencement of the examination, the management of the GES reminded all regional and district directors of education, supervisors and invigilators to take extra precautionary measures to ensure that the examinations were free from any malpractice.

    “In that earlier letter, management of GES is particularly concerned with the tendency for some persons to take WhatsApp shots of some question papers and circulate them to create the mischief that the examination questions leaked.

    “All supervisors, invigilators and candidates are to be extra careful and look out for such unacceptable practices, since any such reported case will be thoroughly investigated and all those found culpable will be made to face the full rigours of the law,” Prof. Opoku-Amankwa warned.

    Advice to candidates

    Advising the candidates, the Director-General urged them to be extra conscious of activities which will have the potential of undermining the integrity of the examination.

    “Candidates must strive for independent work and depend on their individual abilities. Candidates should also be mindful of the implications of misconduct during the examinations, which could lead to suspension and or cancellation of results and the negative impact that development might have on their future prospects.

    “Management stands by all the key players in the administration and conduct of the examination and wish to urge all to work together to protect the integrity of the examinations,” Prof. Opoku-Amankwa said.

    Tweneboa Kodua SHS riots

    In a related development, the District Security Committee (DISEC) of Sekyere Kumawu in the Ashanti Region has set up a three-member committee to investigate the issues that led to the near boycott of the WASSCE by final-year students of the Tweneboa Kodua Senior High School at Kumawu, reports Kwadwo Baffoe Donkor.

    The committee, which is headed by the District Director of Education, was tasked to ascertain the veracity of the allegations of ill treatment levelled against the headmaster, Mr Francis Awuah, by the students.

    The District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Samuel Addai Agyekum, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic yesterday said calm had been restored to the school.

    On Monday, the students went on the rampage, overturned the tables and benches at the dining hall and refused to eat the food prepared for them while they threatened to boycott the examination if the headmaster was not sacked.

    They accused the headmaster of being “too strict” and also unjustifiably seizing and destroying the mobile phone of an invigilator.

    The students claimed the headmaster was too strict on the invigilators and that the seating arrangements in the examination halls were not friendly to them.

    DISEC intervention

    According to the DCE, when he heard of the agitations of the students, he quickly stepped in and together with the police, restored calm and order to the school and later had a talk with the students to reassure them that their grievances would be looked into.

    “The DISEC does not have the right to sack or demand that a headmaster be transferred. That is the work of the district directorate of education. Our main concern was to ensure that calm was restored to the school to enable the students to write their exam,” he said.

    Source: graphic.com.gh

  • You concentrate on fake leaked WASSCE question paper at your own peril GES to candidates

    The Ghana Education Service (GES) has dismissed claims that a question paper in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) was deliberately leaked.

    In a statement signed by the Head of Public Relations Unit, Cassandra Twum Ampofo, the GES stated emphatically that the said leaked questions in circulation are bogus.

    The body advised the public to disregard all allegations that the questions were leaked to ensure the candidate excel in their exams.

    “Management of GES wishes to assure all candidates and the general public that the said question paper making the rounds is fake. Indeed, there is no WASSCE subject written by Ghanaian candidates called General paper.”

    “Management further assures the candidates and the general public that the examinations are being managed by responsible men and women who will never sacrifice the integrity of the examinations for any other expediency,” the statement said.

    All candidates were warned against concentrating on this question paper at the peril of their preparations.

    The Service has measures have been put in place to track those behind the supposed leaked fake question papers.

    The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has also described as fake the images of papers circulating on social media purported to be for upcoming Integrated Science examination.

    The WASSCE started Monday, July 20, across the country after over a month of preparation in school.

    President Akufo-Addo recalled final year students to school to study for their respective exit examinations.

    This was met with various criticism considering the outbreak and spread of Covid-19 in some schools shortly after the reopening.

     

    Source: myjoyonline 

  • Integrated Science exam papers on social media are fake – WAEC

    The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) says the Integrated Science One and Two papers circulating on social media are fake.

    “The council wishes to allay the fears of all stakeholders especially candidates about the alleged leakage of papers.

    A scrutiny of the alleged images being shared on social media indicates once again the activities of certain individuals mainly operators of rogue websites and alleged WhatApp groups aimed at leading candidates astray and discredit the council, “the multi national examination body said.

    A statement issued and signed by Mrs Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, Head, Public Affairs, National Office of WAEC, said the council, “Is very vigilant and has alerted the BNI, CID and National Security about the threats posed by these groups.”

    The statement assured all stakeholders that it all necessary measures were in place to ensure the smooth conduct of WASSCE for candidates.

    The Council urged candidates to stay focused, continue with their preparation for the examination and comply with the COVID-19 protocols in order to stay safe during the Period of the exams.

    The Council further cautioned stakeholders to be circumspect in putting out information on the exams.

     

    Source: GNA

  • SHS student reportedly collapses and dies during exams

    A second-year gold-track student of Oyoko Methodist Senior High School in Koforidua has died during exams.

    The female student collapsed while writing Literature in English WASSCE Thursday afternoon.

    She was immediately rushed to the St. Joseph Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

    Starr News has gathered that the General Arts student was not well in the last three days and was treated at the sickbay.

    The cause of death has not been ascertained as yet.

    Education officials in the region are currently at the hospital where she died.

    Source: Starr FM