Stiffer punishment for exam cheats

Stiffer penalties, including fines ranging from ¢6m to ¢30m and a term of imprisonment not exceeding two years, will henceforth be imposed on any person found guilty of any form of examination malpractice in the country.

This follows the presidential assent to the West African Examination Council (WAEC) Bill which was passed by Parliament in July, last year.

The new West Africa Examinations Council Act, 2006, (Act 719), repeals the existing PNDC Law, 1991, (PNDCL 255)which provided a fine of not less than ¢20,000 and not exceeding ¢50,000 or imprisonment for a term of not more than two years both for any person convicted of examination malpractices.

The Senior Public Relations Officer of WAEC, Mrs. Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, who made this known to the Times in Accra, said she was hopeful that the more punitive penalties under the new law would deter candidates from engaging in malpractices of any form.

She cited some of the penalties as disqualification of the candidate and cancellation of the entire results, as well as barring the candidate from taking any of WAEC’s examination for a period between two and three years.

Also, possession of an examination paper, having foreknowledge or making use of an examination paper or the content before or during an examination, impersonation and assault on an invigilator, inspector or another candidate all constitute an offence.

Other offences include a candidate giving his or her examination paper to another person, disclosing contents of examination paper, making a change in the original script of a candidate, fraudulently replacing the original script or altering the result of a candidate, fraudulently altering the examination number, photograph or other identification of a candidate or acts in a manner with intent to falsify the records of the Council.

Mrs. Teye-Cudjoe said WAEC will in any situation, impose sanctions including cancellation of examination results or certificate issued to the candidates when it is established through investigations that a candidate had access to an examination paper, had foreknowledge or cheated in the examination.

"Where more than one-third of the candidates at a school before, during or after an examination are found to have contravened the provisions of the Act, the Council may prohibit that school from organising, supervising or acting as an agent in the conduct of an examination for a period," she stated.