The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has cautioned school leaders against charging their candidates in the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) various amounts for aiding in answering the questions.
According to WAEC, per surveillance done, “there are disturbing indications that candidates in some areas are being asked to pay between Gh¢200.00 and Gh¢500.00 for assistance from invigilators.
WAEC added that, “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 reports, WAEC cautioned, “all Heads of Schools, Supervisors, and Invigilators to desist from this practice as all those involved will be dealt with according to the rules and regulations of the examination.” The Council emphasized that the entries of implicated candidates “will be nullified,” and those found guilty of cheating “will have their entire results cancelled.”
In a statement signed by Head of Public Affairs at WAEC, John K. Kapi on August 19, 2024, he indicated that “any examination centres that do not adhere to the regulations will be relocated to WAEC-designated centres.”
Despite these concerns, the 2024 WASSCE officially commenced on Monday, August 19, 2024, following the completion of the Visual Art Project work earlier in the month. The examination, which is being conducted at 1,000 centres nationwide, will run until Friday, September 20, 2024. A total of 460,611 candidates from 1,003 schools are participating, representing a 2.66% increase from the previous year.