Education Minister Dr. Yaw Adutwum
The government of Ghana has been urged to stay away from interfering with the work of the West African Examination Council (WAEC).
Jonathan Otchere Asante, a senior lecturer at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), made this known in an interview with Eric Ahianyo on the Morning Update on TV XYZ.
His comments come on the heels of a research findings by education Think Tank, Africa Education Watch, that has revealed damning revelations about the education sector.
The think tank wants the government to break the monopoly enjoyed by the West African Examination Council, WAEC, in assessing students and conducting examinations in Ghana.
Presenting the report, the Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare, said independent international examining bodies should be given the opportunity to assess students in the basic education level so as to promote healthy competition in the examination space.
“The Education Ministry must set up a regulator of assessment to regulate WAEC and other assessment bodies before their activities become ungovernable. We need to break the WAEC monopoly. WAEC operates in other countries, but they do not have a monopoly in Nigeria, for instance, ” he said while pointing to examination malpractices in recent times.
But contributing to the development, Mr Asante backed the education think tank, saying reports of examination malpractices had become rampant in recent years, especially when the Free SHS policy was launched.
“I think that it’s quite revealing… Most of the things that have come up are solid and more factual,” Asante said.
Jonathan Otchere also suggested that like WAEC, any activity that has many human intervention along the value chain is compromised, urging government not to get closer to the activities of WAEC.
He said the research indicates the “integrity of the [WAEC] certificate is at stake.”
Touching on the malpractices, he said, “Students attacking invigilator was created by the panicky situation that was created by the government. ”
Government has been blamed for buying past questions for SHs students and assuring them their examination questions would be from the books.