WAEC reacts to ‘your failure, our success’ motto for BECE, WASSCE

The management of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) says its official motto is “Committed to Excellence” and not “Your failure is our success” as attributed to the organization for the conduct of its examinations.

An official of WAEC in a discussion monitored by Thisterm.com debunked allegations that the Examinations Council intentionally fail candidates for them to resit the examination for the benefit of the not-for-profit institution.

“Our existence is based on the conduct of an examination and we will under no circumstance fail or leak questions to candidates to tarnish our image, our processes are fair and transparent,” the WAEC official noted.

According to him, the West African Exams Council is never interested in any candidate’s failure. The WAEC official added, “We have heard candidates say their failure is the success of the West African Examinations Council.”

About WAEC

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is an examination board established by law to determine the examinations required in the public interest in the English-speaking West African countries, to conduct the examinations and to award certificates comparable to those of equivalent examining authorities internationally.

Established in 1952, the council has contributed to education in Anglophone countries of West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and the Gambia), with the number of examinations they have coordinated, and certificates they have issued.

They also formed an endowment fund, to contribute to education in West Africa, through lectures and aid to those who cannot afford education. Since established it continues to be one of the biggest and most globally recognized exams in West Africa.

Dr. Adeyegbe, former HNO of WAEC Nigeria (2004) said “The council has developed a team of well-trained and highly motivated staff and has administered Examinations that are valid and relevant to the educational aspirations of member countries”.

In a year, over three million candidates registered for the exams coordinated by the West African Examinations Council. The council also helps other examination bodies (both local and international) in coordinating Examinations.

The legislative assemblies of Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and the Gambia passed an ordinance (West African Examinations Council Ordinance NO. 40) approving the West African Examination Council in December 1951.

The Ordinance agreed to the coordination of exams, and issuing of certificates to students in individual countries by the West African Examination Council. Liberia later issued their ordinance in 1974, at the annual meeting held in Lagos, Nigeria.

After the success of forming an examination council, the council called a first meeting in Accra, Ghana in March 1953. In the meeting, the registrar briefed everybody about the progress of the council. In that same meeting, five committees were formed to assist the council.

These committees are the Administrative and Finance Committee, the School Examinations Committee, the Public Service Examinations Committee, The Professional, Technical and Commercial Examinations Committee, and the Local Committee. The total number of people present for this meeting was 26.