The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has urged parents, guardians, and stakeholders to remain calm following the withholding of results for some candidates who sat for the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School Candidates.
WAEC released the provisional results on December 30, 2024, covering a total of 460,611 candidates from 1,003 schools. However, several cases of examination malpractice were recorded during the exams, leading to disciplinary actions against some candidates and schools.
Recorded Irregularities and Sanctions
The examination irregularities identified included:
- Candidates bringing foreign materials into exam halls.
- Snapping and posting of exam questions on social media.
- Distribution of photocopied responses to candidates.
- Cases of invigilators assisting candidates during exams.
Some of these infractions, deemed criminal in nature, were reported to the police for legal action, while others were referred to WAEC for disciplinary measures.
Following its investigations, and upon approval by the Ghana Examinations Committee, WAEC took the following actions:
- Cancellation of subject results for 4,108 candidates for bringing foreign materials into the exam hall.
- Cancellation of entire results for 483 candidates caught with mobile phones.
- Withholding of subject results for 781 candidates.
- Withholding of entire results for 209 candidates due to various suspected offences.
- Withholding of subject results for candidates from 319 schools over suspected collusion.
Process for Resolving Withheld Results
WAEC has outlined a transparent process for dealing with withheld results:
- Heads of affected schools are informed of the issues.
- A thorough scrutiny of scripts is conducted to verify suspected malpractices.
- Candidates and their parents/guardians are invited for a fair hearing.
- Candidates are allowed to submit written statements in response to the allegations.
- WAEC then determines whether to release, cancel, or uphold the withholding of results based on the findings.
For the 2024 WASSCE, WAEC has completed the scrutiny of scripts and is currently conducting hearings, allowing affected candidates to respond to the allegations before a final decision is made.
Legal Challenge and Court Ruling
Some candidates and schools accused of collusion challenged WAEC’s decision in court. The court subsequently ordered the release of their results. However, to ensure fairness to all affected candidates, WAEC has filed a stay of execution pending appeal, which is scheduled to be heard on February 20, 2025.
Meanwhile, hearings for other affected candidates are ongoing, with results being released accordingly. WAEC has assured all stakeholders that all investigations will be finalized, and all results will be released by February 28, 2025.
Call for Collective Action Against Exam Malpractice
WAEC has expressed concern over the alarming increase in examination malpractice and called for collective action to curb the menace.
“The fight against this problem is a shared responsibility. Parents, guardians, teachers, the media, and all stakeholders must speak out boldly against examination fraud to protect the credibility of our examinations and ensure that certificates are awarded to deserving candidates only,” WAEC stated.
The Council also appealed to affected candidates and their parents to cooperate with the ongoing processes to facilitate the timely release of outstanding results.
By Madjid Diallo | Ghana News Online