EDUCATIONAL GUIDE TEACHERS PROFESSIONAL FORUM

Waec Caught These School With Impersonation And Their Centres Have Been Taken To WAEC Head Office

BRIGHT FRANCISSeptember 18, 2022

3 5 minutes read

INTRODUCTION

As part of efforts to keep our publics well-informed, the Council deemed it fit to give periodic updates to its stakeholders through your reliable media platforms on the conduct of the ongoing WASSCE for School Candidates, 2022. The WASSCE (SC) 2022 (Ghana only version), which commenced on 1st August, is ongoing steadily at the 775 centres being used for the examination. As at today, 16th September, 2022, the Council has administered theory papers for 48 out of 60 subjects. These include papers for three (3) core subjects i.e. Social Studies, English Language and Mathematics. The last core paper, Integrated Science, will be written on Monday, 19th September, 2022. The examination which will end on Tuesday, 27th September, 2022 is being monitored by teams of Inspectors from WAEC, the Ghana Education Service and the National Intelligence Bureau. We have also received reports of irregularities in some schools from Corruption Watch and Africa Education Watch.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

The examination has been generally successful with most of the papers commencing as scheduled. Quite a number of Supervisors and Invigilators are complying with the rules and regulations regarding the conduct of the examination as stipulated in the Instructions for Supervisors/Invigilators (MPA 23). Most candidates are also adhering to the Dos and Don’ts of the examination.

With respect to Mathematics (Elective) Paper 2 and Mathematics (Core) Paper 2 however, reports were received of some hand written extracts of some questions on monitored platforms. The Council would as such, deploy various internationally accepted assessment procedures to guarantee the credibility of results for the two papers. Investigations are ongoing and any further developments will be communicated accordingly.

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EXAMINATION IRREGULARITIES

i. Restriction of access to school compounds for monitoring purposes

At the commencement of the examination, the Office received intelligence reports from our team of monitors that some schools had adopted the practice of locking their gates. On a number of occasions, our Monitoring teams had to wait behind the gates for the gatemen to ostensibly inform the school authorities about their visit to the centre before granting them access. We are glad to note that since the Council went public on this unfortunate practice in its Press Release dated 2nd September, 2022, it has not received any new reports to that effect.

b. Smuggling of mobile phones into the examination hall by candidates and some Invigilators

Our Inspectors and Monitoring teams continue to report cases of candidates bringing mobile phones into the examination halls to take snap shots of questions and receive solutions from Telegram channels and social media groups. In some instances, Invigilators have been caught in the act perpetrating the same malpractice as in the following cases:

Ideal College, Kasoa – during Government 2 & 1 an Invigilator, was caught with a mobile phone assisting a candidate.
Asawinso SHS, another Invigilator took snap shots of Social Studies Paper 2 and forwarded same to his contractor at Sefwi Bekwai via WhatsApp.

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It was also observed that some persons snapped the papers during the examination and forward them to some Telegram Channels. Some of the snapshots were tracked to the following schools:

Graphic Design Paper 2 – tracked to Sandema SHS, where a candidate has been arrested and processed for court.
Management-In-Living – tracked to Catabb SHS, Kumasi Investigations are ongoing to arrest the perpetrator.
Mathematics (Core) 2 – tracked to Toase SHS.

IMPERSONATION

As mentioned in our earlier update, impersonation cases are on the increase in this year’s WASSCE (SC). This is a worrying phenomenon because this is a school examination and school authorities should be able to identify their candidates. As of today, 23 suspected impersonation cases from the following schools have been reported to the police:

Vicar Trust SHS, Kasoa – 3
St. John SHS, Asante Bekwai – 2
Winners SHS, Nkawkaw – 1
Sunyani Business College – 1
Mococo SHS, Nkawkaw – 1
Prince Boateng SHS, Nsawam – 15

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SYNDICATE CHEATING IN SCHOOLS

This practice involves collection of monies from candidates by teachers and execution of pre-arranged plans by these same persons to assist candidates to cheat by solving questions and distributing photocopied/ printed solutions to the candidates. A number of cases from the following schools have come to our attention:

Asawinso SHS
Action, Madina SHS
Juaben SHS
Aduman SHS
Sunyani Business College
Oxford Business SHS, Sunyani
Miracle SHS, Sunyani

INCREASE IN CASES OF INSIDE-EXAMINATION-HALL MALPRACTICE

This occurs as a result of poor supervision and invigilation. Some of the cases recorded include bringing foreign material such as prepared notes, textbooks, pamphlets and mobile phones into the examination hall and exchange of answer/question booklets.

DEPLOYMENT OF OTHER CHEATING TACTICS

These include the use of classrooms for elective papers instead of assembly halls to hinder effective monitoring of the examination, frequent visits to the washrooms and feigning of ailments.

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CAUTION LETTERS TO SCHOOLS

Caution letters have been written to 34 schools (see attached list) following tip offs and reports from intelligence sources about schemes from those schools to ensure that their candidates cheat during the ongoing WASSCE. The schemes include

(1) Payment of sums of money by candidates to teachers/school authorities ostensibly to induce Supervisors, Invigilators to compromise;

(2) Predetermined arrangements to have subject tutors solve questions and distribute solutions in various forms to the candidates;

(3) Allowing candidates to carry relevant textbooks/pamphlets into the examination rooms. The schools have been cautioned that their Schools/centres would be derecognised if malpractices were reported in those places during the examination. Two schools i.e

Great Dafco SHS and Supreme SHS were relocated to the WAEC Hall, Kumasi to continue with their papers.

ASSAULT OF MONITORING AGENT

One of the Council’s commissioned Monitoring Agents was assaulted by a gang of five (5) persons on Monday, 12th September, 2022 at Santa Maria after monitoring the examination at Santa Maria SHS. He was severely beaten and had his mobile phone and spectacles damaged. A report on the incident was made at the Anyaa Police Station and investigations are ongoing.

CONCLUSION

With about ten (10) days to the end of the WASSCE (SC) 2022, the Council wishes to reiterate its commitment to the conduct of credible examinations at all levels despite the challenges. We are appreciative of the support that we have received in various forms, especially from the Ghana Police Service and the National Intelligence Bureau. We acknowledge the input of the National Security, Corruption Watch and Africa Education Watch and other concerned citizens, some of whom have forwarded to the Council their monitoring reports in respect of the examination. We also recognise the immense efforts being put in by majority of our Heads of School, Supervisors and Invigilators to safeguard the integrity of the examination, not forgetting the collaboration we continue to receive from the media.