The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced the arrest of more than 40 individuals over their alleged involvement in examination malpractice during the recently concluded Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse, WAEC’s Head of Public Affairs, John Kapi, revealed “that a total of 43 people had been arrested so far, all of whom are teachers”.
Mr Kapi clarified that no students have been arrested in relation to the reported malpractice incidents.
“Well, usually students are not put under arrest. Their statements are taken and then brought back to the office for further investigation before a final decision is taken about them,” he explained.
According to WAEC, the arrests are part of ongoing measures aimed at combating examination malpractice and protecting the credibility of Ghana’s public examination system.
Mr Kapi also assured students, parents, and stakeholders that the council is adequately prepared for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), with the English oral paper expected to take place on Wednesday, May 13.
He noted that some practical examinations and other papers, including cost accounting, have already been conducted successfully.
According to him, WAEC initially focused more attention on the BECE because of the high number of candidates and the overlap between preparations for both examinations.
“Because of the numbers, especially coinciding with the BECE, we gave priority to the BECE. Now for this week, the oral English paper is going to take place, and as the weeks go by, we will get into full throttle,” he added.
WAEC has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the smooth and credible administration of the WASSCE while maintaining strict monitoring systems to curb examination malpractice.