Editorial by Ghanaian Times: Try harsher punishments in stemming exam malpractices!

Once again there have been arrests of people allegedly attempting to assist candidates cheat in an examination being conducted by the West African Examination Council (WAEC).

This time the suspects are six teachers arrested across the country for allegedly engaging in examination malpractices in the ongoing West Africa Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

If on Day 2 of the WASSCE six teachers have been arrest­ed, the Ghanaian Times would not be surprised to hear about more arrests in the examination scheduled to end on September 20, 2024.

Our speculation is based on the fact that in spite of arrests, prosecution, and other punitive actions by WAEC, every year, certain bad lots still indulge in malpractices from the start of the examination till its end and the numbers usually overwhelm the examination body.

Imagine, for example, that in the case of the 2023 WASSCE, the Head of Public Relations of WAEC Ghana, John Kapi, at a press conference in Accra, could not provide a comprehensive list of candidates, invigilators, and teachers arrested, but said: “we have overwhelming numbers”.

Note the categories of persons involved in the examination mal­practices – teachers, invigilators, and candidates or students.

If it is on record as claimed by Mr Kapi last year that some school officials charged candi­dates varying sums ranging from GH¢500 to GH¢1,000 to aid them in cheating in the examination hall, then the list of those who indulge in examination malprac­tices includes others like parents and school authorities.

Besides indulging in the crim­inal acts, as stipulated by the WAEC Act, 2006 (Act 719), some culprits attempt to bribe WAEC officials who catch them in the act and effect their arrest.

It appears indulging in exam­ination malpractices has become a pastime for certain people and so there is the need to diagnose the problem and cure it.

It’s obvious there are monetary gains for some of the people involved but the bottom line is that the candidates, teachers, school officials, and parents are seeking unmerited excellence for the candidates because they are ill-prepared.

This is akin to reaping where they did not sow and the im­plications are not good for the personality development of the candidates first and foremost.

The perpetrators aiding the candidates to cheat are inculcat­ing in them habits of embracing dishonesty, unduly hijacking any system they think should help them, side-lining others, duping others, and practising all manner of corrupt practices among other myriad negative habits.

On the part of teachers and school officials, it is clear they want excellence for candidates to conceal their ineptitude, negli­gence of duty, and or laziness, to outwit others to seek admission to their schools.

The whole matter gives out those involved, including parents, as corrupt people who would make use of every opportunity, no matter evil, for their selfish gains.

Such people are not to be entertained in society.

This is why the Ghanaian Times agrees to suggestions made by the education think tank, Africa Education Watch (EduWatch), last year that the Ghana Educa­tion Service should escalate its sanctions regime to an outright dismissal of teachers who mis­conduct themselves in WAEC examinations; and that the government should amend the WAEC Law because sanctions in the original law are outdated.

Hopefully stricter or harsh­er punishments can help kill examination malpractices in the country.