NDC outlines measures to end examination malpractice after 2024

As part of measures to end examination malpractice in the country, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) says it will resource the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to check irregularities in examinations.

The Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Education Committee, Dr Clement Apaak in an interview with the Ghana News Agency said should NDC come into power after the 2024 election, examination malpractice will be a thing of the past.

He said the NDC government under the leadership of their flagbearer John Dramani Mahama, would introduce educational reforms in the country to include the provision of resources for WAEC to properly execute its mandate.

“As we speak, the current government owes the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) GHȻ136million. So, WAEC is not able to recruit and deploy sufficient independent invigilators.

“What turns out to happen is that some of the very same teachers who teach in these schools are relied upon by WAEC, and that makes it easier for them to execute these kinds of cheating schemes,” Dr Apaak told GNA.

Member of Parliament for the Builsa South Constituency emphasised that “the immediate concern to be addressed is the proper resource of WAEC to ensure that WAEC is able to recruit sufficient, independent invigilators to invigilate these exams.”

He advocated a system where students or candidates who sit for WAEC exams would be made to answer different questions in examination halls and said it would check the rampant acts of cheating among students in schools.

“The other reform we will be looking at is to make sure that we give different questions to different groups of students. So, when you have a situation where there is no synergy in terms of the questions, it makes it difficult for any organized form of cheating,” he said.

Dr Apaak said there were best practices in other parts of the world that Ghana could emulate moving forward, to improve the educational system.

“All these are in the ultimate interest of the student. If they get grades that they cannot defend, they will go to tertiary institutions, and be given some of the most sought-after courses such as Medicine, Law, Nursing, and Administration, and they will be struggling.

“As we speak, many lecturers in the tertiary institutions have complained. Students get ‘A1s’ in the English Language and yet, they cannot compose basic sentences.

“A student gets an ‘A1’ in mathematics and cannot solve a simple mathematical equation. How do you explain that? Is that what we want?” Dr Apaak quizzed.

The Deputy Ranking Member further said, “We are doing a great disservice to the future of this nation. It is in our best interest as a country to address this issue head on and stop pretending.”