NaCCA should investigate the results of the BECE and WASSCE in 2023 – EduWatch.
A very known Educational institutions, Africa Education Watch has called on the government to mandate the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) to regulate the activities of all examination bodies in the country, including the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
The Director of EduWatch, Kofi Asare, posting in a social media has been sighted, said an amendment is required of the WAEC Act and the Education Regulatory Agencies Act to give the Curriculum Council (NaCCA) that regulatory mandate.
“Such regulatory bodies normally operate an Office of Public Complaints, where issues of alleged unfair treatment by exam bodies are independently and expeditiously investigated and resolved.
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EduWatch Director said, among WAEC’s fierce resistance, EduWatch has been pushing the Ministry of Education (MoE) and Parliament on the need for an independent regulatory body for all exam bodies in Ghana; not only WAEC.”
EduWatch Director call comes after the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) said students who sat for this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination and are not satisfied with their BECE results can appeal for their examination script to be reviewed.
An official of the WAEC in a discussion said candidates 60 days after the release of the provisional results of the national examination can request a remarking or review of their BECE for School papers or scripts.
The WAEC official added: “Every candidate has the right to appeal if, for some reason, not satisfied with the result, We have a system in place for the students to appeal two months after the results are released online.”
He urged interested BECE students to appeal only at the nearest office of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and not through any third party or individual who claims to be a staff of the Examinations Council.
The EduWatch Director despite reports of examination malpractice at some examination centres during the BECE commended the not-for-profit organization for the successful conduct of the national and international examinations,
“You may not be very happy with WAEC- BECE grades, withheld or cancelled results, etc. It does not mean WAEC did a bad job. Your issues may be an exception to the norm. It’s very normal with examination outcomes in every country
The only difference is, in advanced countries, you seek redress from an independent regulator. Over here, it’s the same West African Examinations Council (WAEC) you must appeal to,” the Executive Director of the education think tank said.
MORE STORIES FOR YOU: Release of provisional results for the Basic Education
A total of 600,714 candidates, comprising 300,323 boys and 300,391 girls from 18,993 Junior High Schools participated in the 2023 BECE for School Candidates which began on Monday, August 7, 2023, to Friday, August 11, 2023.
With regard to the 2023 BECE for Private Candidates, a total entry figure of 1,743 candidates was recorded. This is made up of 889 males and 854 females. This year’s figure is 5.4% higher than the entry figure of 1,132 for 2022.
The 2023 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for School Candidates was held at 2,137 examination centres across the country, while 15 centres mainly in the regional capitals were used for the BECE for Private candidates.