Exam leaks: Don't blame sch. heads – GNAT

The Deputy General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), David Ofori-Acheampong, has said heads of schools cannot be blamed for external exam leakages.

According to him, given that school heads play only a peripheral role in examinations organised by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), it would be misplaced punishing them for exam leakages.

Mr Ofori-Acheampong said these during an interview with Abena Korantemaa Agyapong on Accra News on Monday April 11.

His assertions follow the arrest of the headmaster of Ascension Senior High School in the Ashanti region over examination malpractices last week in the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

Four papers – Oral English, Integrated Science, Physics and Social Studies – leaked.

But in the view of the GNAT executive, if school heads have to take responsibility for whatever happens, “then they need to change the arrangements regarding examinations”.

“With the current setting, heads of schools have no control over exams,” he insisted.

He said in times past, the examining body deposited exam papers with heads of schools, who were tasked with overseeing the conduct of the exams.

“If that were the system in place, then I would have agreed with the GES Director General,” added Mr Ofori-Acheampong.

“So how do you go holding the one who has no control over the conduct of the exam responsible? Unless he was overtly involved in examination misconduct. But under the present arrangement, I do not agree with anyone that if the students of my school have access to leaked questions, you should hold me responsible when I am not in charge of the conduct of the whole examination.”