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Three people including the Headmaster of Ascension Senior High School in the Ashanti region have been arrested over examination malpractices which have hit the country.
The two others are a female Literature Teacher of the same school and a student. According to West African Examination Council (WAEC) officials, the trio attempted to sneak answers to candidates who were writing the Literature paper and were nabbed.
Three major papers of the WASSCE have leaked, but WAEC has served notice it will not cancel them.
“The candidate led a [WAEC] depot keeper who caught her in the action to the female literature teacher. According to the girl, the female teacher gave her the answers to be given to the students in the examination hall,” the Ashanti Regional Branch Controller for WAEC, Alex Bosompem, told Accra-based Joy FM.
He said the headmaster, Ekow Quashie, also had in his possession some yet-to-be-written papers on his mobile phone, hence his arrest.
Meanwhile, President John Mahama has described as disappointing the reported leakage of examination papers in the ongoing Senior High School Certificate Examination organised by the West African Examination Council.
According to him, WAEC after a similar incident last year, assured government of its readiness to introduce reforms to curb the examination malpractices.
“WAEC is an independent body and so government can’t interfere in its operational affairs. But government wishes to call on WAEC to put its house in order,” the President stated.
He continued: “It is most discouraging when students have prepared for three solid years only to be confronted with incidences of examination leakages. Last year in the BECE exams, the BNI was called to investigate an examination leakage and two people are being prosecuted.
"WAEC informed government that it is going to conduct reforms in its exams preparations. We are therefore disappointed at news of a possible leakage of the secondary school certificate exams. We urge WAEC to urgently work to plug all loopholes to protect the integrity of the exams and I have asked the BNI to work with WAEC to deal drastically with anyone found culpable”.
