WAEC urged to collaborate with public universities

Accra, Dec. 8, GNA - Papa Owusu Ankomah, Minister of Education, Science and Sports, on Friday urged the West African Examination Council (WAEC) to collaborate with the public universities to initiate the process of introducing a National Examinations Law to address examinations malpractices.

He said Ghana was now competing with students from other countries on the international scene and it was important that the examinations were devoid of any embarrassing acts. Papa Owusu Ankomah was speaking at the 2005 Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE) Excellence Awards ceremony organized by the WAEC in Accra.

"We must ensure that our students compete fairly for laurels with other students from the member countries of the West African Examinations Council," he said. He expressed worry at the rate of examination malpractice in the last year's SSSCE and called on the Ghana Education Service and Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary School (CHASS) to take steps to address the problem.

Papa Owusu Ankomah expressed satisfaction at the new WAEC LAW (Act 719), which, he said, would impose stiffer punishment for all types of examination malpractices. He congratulated the award winners for their effort and charged candidates preparing for the May/June 2007 to break the jinx surrounding mathematics and to read books to improve their standard of English. Mr Mathew P. Ndure, Registrar to WAEC, called on civil society to join WAEC in its fight against examination malpractices adding that the Council would not compromise on the standards of examination. Mr Ndure called on the youth to strive to emulate the award winners' achievement by working hard to chalk the best in all aspects of their lives.

He congratulated the award winners and the teachers for their immeasurable contributions.

Master Kwesi Ntiamoah Adarkwa, a former student of Chemu Secondary School in Tema, was adjudged the overall best student for 2005 Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE). Miss Nana Yaa Antwi-Gyamfi from the Wesley Girls High School was adjudged the overall second best while Master Victory Kwabena Ametepey, formerly of Bishop Herman Secondary School, Kpando, came third. Master Richard Don Ahafe, formerly of Kpando Secondary School, won the best candidate in the business programme award.