WAEC cautions schools against charging candidates up to GHC500 for exam assistance
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has issued a warning to school authorities regarding the illegal practice of charging candidates for assistance during the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
WAEC has received reports indicating that candidates in certain areas are being asked to pay between GH¢200 and GH¢500 for help from invigilators. The Council further noted, “there are reports that some supervisors intend to assign teachers to invigilate subjects they teach, while some schools have reportedly registered non-bona fide students to sit for the exams.”
In response to these concerning practices, WAEC cautioned all Heads of Schools, Supervisors, and Invigilators to cease such activities. The Council stated, “all those involved will be dealt with according to the rules and regulations of the examination,” emphasizing that the entries of implicated candidates “will be nullified,” and those found guilty of cheating “will have their entire results cancelled.”
In a statement released on August 19, 2024, by John K. Kapi, Head of Public Affairs at WAEC, it was indicated that “any examination centres that do not adhere to the regulations will be relocated to WAEC-designated centres.”
Despite these warnings, the 2024 WASSCE officially began on Monday, August 19, 2024, following the completion of the Visual Art Project earlier this month. The examination is being held at 1,000 centres across the country and will continue until Friday, September 20, 2024. A total of 460,611 candidates from 1,003 schools are participating, marking a 2.66% increase compared to the previous year.