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Some supervisors of the ongoing Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) are asking pupils to contribute not less than GhȻ10 each so they can have the space to cheat.
Other examiners are alleged to have made contacts with school managers in Accra, to pay GhȻ200 for them allow candidates from their institutions the ‘free space’ to write their papers.
A school proprietor, John Odame (not real name) revealed on the Joy FM Super Morning Show that his school manager called him early Wednesday, June 7, and informed him of the development. He alleged that some other school proprietors he contacted in Accra specifically in the Ga East Municipality, corroborated the story.
“My greatest worry is the fact that we are now training kids who we expect to take good behavior; who we expect to lead this society and now we are trying to corrupt their minds,” the disturbed school proprietor stated.
Head of Public Relations at the Ghana Education Service, Reverend Jonathan Bettey however says his outfit is unaware of the development.
Rev. Bettey told host of the Show, Nhira Addo that “These are all examination malpractices which we have taken them [exam supervisors] through”.
“We frown on examination malpractices and we’ve warned our teachers several times,” the GES spokesperson stated.
He however said the GES will initiate investigations into the claim once his outfit receives a formal notification of the development.
Over 460,000 candidates are participating in the 2017 BECE which got off Monday and is expected to end this Friday, June 9. The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the body mandated to conduct the test, bars the pupils from carrying ‘foreign materials’ into the examination hall.
Regulation (8) of WAEC handbook for BECE candidates states: “Candidates must provide their own pens, pencils, erasers, mathematical sets and painting materials. They are required to write their answers in ink; only blue ink should be used and pencils may be used only for diagrams. The Council will provide pencils for objective papers.”
Reports of monetary inducement to allow students space to cheat in its different forms is a violation of the regulation.
Listen to Mr. ‘John Odame’ and Rev. Bettey in the attached audio: