Impersonation in WASSCE common in private SHS – WAEC
The not-for-profit-making organization (WAEC) responsible for the conduct of national and international examinations says it is yet to record any case of impersonation in WASSCE involving a public Senior High School (SHS) in the country.
WAEC’s comment comes after its management in a blog post sighted by AcademicWeek said more than 20 suspected impersonation cases in the 2022 WASSCE have been reported to the Ghana Police Service for further investigation.
Speaking at a press briefing, the Head of Exams at West African Examinations Council (WAEC), George Ohene Mantey said impersonation practice is prevalent in private Senior High Schools partaking in the ongoing examination.
“So far, what we have recorded for school exams over the years comes from the private Senior High Schools; we are yet to receive any report for impersonation from a public Senior High School
If you are a proprietor or headmaster and somebody comes to write the exams in your school and after strict scrutiny or interrogation, the person is arrested you must be able to identify the person but most times they fail to assist the Council for further investigations,” he stated.
Describing the situation as a worrying phenomenon, WAEC has urged school authorities to take proactive measures to be able to identify individuals not eligible to partake in the Ghana version of the international examination.
George Mantey told journalists that schools that have been engaged in any of the exam malpractices would be sanctioned as well as those reported condoning impersonation will have their centres withdrawn.
“Caution letters have been written to 34 schools following tip-offs and report from intelligence sources about schemes from those schools to ensure that their candidates cheat during the ongoing WASSCE,” he said at the press briefing
The WAEC official also indicated that individuals who have been arrested for impersonation in the various private Senior High Schools in the ongoing WASSCE would be made to face the full rigour of the law to serve as a deterrent.
Slated to end September 27, 2022, a total of 422,883 candidates representing 203,753 boys and 219,130 girls from 977 Senior High Schools (673 public and 304 private schools) registered to sit for the August/September WASSCE.
