Public JHSs engaged in BECE malpractice than the private – WAEC

The majority of reported cases of examination malpractice in the just-ended Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) were recorded in public Junior High Schools, a spokesperson for the West African Examinations Council has said.

In an interview monitored by Thisterm.com, the Head of Public Affairs of WAEC, John Kapi said “I think from the report that we received I can only remember two that are private schools but the majority of them are public schools.”

Asked what is next after the examination, the spokesperson said his outfit in due course will commence marking the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) scripts of candidates who sat for the 2024 national examination.

“The next stage is for us to do the marking and what we are going to do is invite examiners from across the country for national preliminary coordination where they come and sit down as experts and relook at the marking scheme,” he said.

A total of 569,095 candidates representing 282,648 males and 286,447 females from 19,506 private and public Junior High Schools participated in the BECE for School to start on Monday, July 8, and ended Monday, July 15, 2024.

Regarding BECE for Private Candidates, the West African Examinations Council in a statement sighted by Thisterm.com said about 1,366 candidates, comprising 735 males and 631 females are expected to participate in the examination.

A total of 2,123 supervisors, 1,889 assistant supervisors and 19,973 invigilators according to the Examinations Council have been engaged to ensure the smooth conduct of the BECE for School to be held in 2,123 centres nationwide.

For the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for Private Candidates, the not-for-profit-making organization (WAEC) said fifteen (15) centres, mainly in the regional capitals.

Ended for the majority of the candidates on Friday, July 12, 2024, a media report says about 33 examination officials have been arrested for various infractions this academic year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

WAEC spokesman, John Kapi in an interview with Ghana News Agency said out of the 33 picked up, 19 were teachers who were supervisors and invigilators adding that three of those picked up had nothing to do with the examination.  

He said those picked up for breaching the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) regulations were being processed for courts.