The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has justified its decision to bar 154 Sekondi College candidates from writing Thursday’s chemistry theory and objective examinations, stating that examination regulations do not allow late candidates to be admitted after the designated reporting time.
The explanation comes after the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of Sekondi College appealed for the affected students to be given another opportunity to sit the examination.
The PTA argued that the students arrived late because of heavy rainfall and were subsequently denied entry by an external invigilator.
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Speaking to Citi News, WAEC’s Head of Public Affairs, John Kapi, emphasised that the examinations are conducted simultaneously across several countries in the West African sub-region, making strict adherence to examination guidelines necessary to safeguard the credibility and integrity of the process.
While acknowledging that extreme weather conditions such as flooding could raise legitimate concerns, Kapi said preliminary reports available to WAEC suggested that the affected students were already on campus and did not need to travel significant distances to reach the examination venue.
“The information we have received indicates that some of the students were at the ICT laboratory, others were in classrooms, while some were in their dormitories. They did not have to travel any considerable distance to access the examination hall,” he explained.
He added that other candidates had already entered the hall and commenced the examination, suggesting that circumstances beyond the rainfall may have contributed to the lateness of those who were denied entry.
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“According to the reports we have received, some students were already inside writing the examination. Therefore, it appears something may have happened that prevented the others from getting to the hall on time to begin the paper,” he said.
Kapi further stated that WAEC would not organise a special resit for the affected candidates. Instead, they would have to wait for the next available examination cycle if they wish to take the paper again.
“The only opportunity for them to rewrite the examination will be during another examination cycle. For instance, they may register and sit for the NOV/DEC examinations later this year,” he noted.
The incident has sparked widespread discussion among parents, educators and other stakeholders in the education sector, with some urging WAEC to exercise flexibility given the circumstances that reportedly led to the students arriving late.