The Chief Executive Officer of Educate Africa Institute (EAI), has urged the Ministry of Education and the government to introduce a new examination body to compete with West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) in conducting external examination in the country.
He said this will keep WAEC on it toes and force them to be more accountable in the assessment of external examinations.
“I think over the past years, results of WAEC-organized examinations have experienced a series of cancellations and withholding pending investigations , there is a need for the authorities in the Education sector to bring another examination body that will conduct these external exams to strike out the difference between their work and that of WAEC to pick the best one to lead examinations in Ghana because WAEC has been consistent in preventing some of these young ones to further their education to next level due to these results cancellation.”
Education Think Tank, Africa Education Watch also had earlier called on , the government of Ghana to take steps to break the monopoly enjoyed WAEC. This call is part of twelve recommendations proffered by the education think tank after conducting thorough research and investigation into the 2020 WASSCE.
According to the Executive Director of African Education Watch, Kofi Asare, the research was triggered by the “gravity of malpractices witnessed in the 2020 West African Secondary Schools Examination and the unprecedented leakage of names and contacts of examiners and questions for all but two subjects.
In September, 2022 the Ghana National Council Of Private Schools (GNACOPS) also urged stakeholders to help abolish WAEC. They have argued that WAEC as an examining body has failed to contribute positively to educational development in the country.
Head of Legal Affairs at WAEC, Victor Brew, had said the Council would engage GNACOPS in a progressive mood to resolve the issues at stake.
“Mr. Gyetuah [the National Executive Director for GNACOPS] will help us when he submits inputs regarding how to better the assessment regime of this country.”
“There are plans to engage Mr. Gyetuah’s outfit for us to discuss and find common ground regarding the way forward,” Rev. Brew said.
–
Story by: Emmanuella Adu Gyamfi | univers.ug.edu.gh
