Education think tank, Africa Education Watch, says it is engaging Parliament’s Select Committee on Education to intervene in what it calls the alarming levels of exam leakage.
In Africa Education Watch’s 2021 WASSCE Report, the think tank alleged that out of the 20 papers sampled for monitoring, 55% leaked within 10 hours before the start of the exam, with one practical paper leaking 5 days earlier.
The think tank also alleged that it bought questions and answers from open Telegram platforms with over 200,000 subscribers, for amounts ranging between GH¢30 and GH¢150.
Speaking to Citi News, the Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare was hopeful that, Parliament’s Select Committee on Education will soon investigate the matter.
“We are happy that Parliament also indicated the need for reforms including the review of WAEC board and several other constitutional reforms.”
“We have recommended the revision of WAEC’s status. In this system of self-regulation, WAEC will never improve.”
He also indicated that they have provided enough evidence to the Ghana Police Service to enable them commence investigations into the leakage.
Africa Education Watch earlier petitioned the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to probe the matter after WAEC announced that extracts of questions for the elective Mathematics 2 paper and Section ‘A’ of English Language 2, were circulated on some social media platforms prior to the examination.
WAEC however said the circulation was not widespread.
The Council also rescheduled two papers –physics and business management.
WAEC requests further details on claims of exam leaks in 2021 WASSCE
Meanwhile, WAEC is calling on Africa Education Watch, to provide further details on its claims of exam malpractice in the 2021 WASSCE.
The Public Relations Officer of WAEC, Agnes Teye Cudjoe noted that a number of the schools cited in EduWatch’s report were not in operation or did not partake in the WASSCE.
WAEC cited the Insaaniya, Beposoman and Kikam Senior High Schools in this regard.
“Insaaniya Senior High School does not currently exist. The school was closed down in January 2021. No candidate was registered by Inssaniya Senior High School for the WASSCE 2021 neither was the school used as an examination centre.”
“We wish to ask EduWatch to give us further clarifications because we have taken note of some of the issues he raised in the report.”
Nonetheless, WAEC has still committed to probing the claims made by EduWatch.
“We wish to further state that the council has taken note of the serious allegations made in the report of malpractices in certain schools, and we will probe the issue further to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of the claims made.”