Deputy Education Minister Dr. Clement Abas Apaak has issued a strong warning that anyone caught engaging in examination malpractice during the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) will face severe sanctions without protection or intervention.
During a monitoring tour of Senior High Schools in the Ashanti Region, Dr. Apaak emphasized that cheating undermines not only Ghana’s education system but also the nation’s international credibility.
Examination Malpractice Threatens Education and Integrity
According to Dr. Apaak, examination malpractice—whether in the form of cheating, collusion, or external interference—poses a direct threat to the quality of education. He cautioned that there is no justification for condoning malpractice, describing it as a serious attack on values such as honesty, integrity, and hard work.
Clear Warnings Issued to Stakeholders
Dr. Apaak explained that prior to the commencement of WASSCE, a formal directive had been issued to all stakeholders. Invigilators, supervisors, teachers, non-teaching staff, and even WAEC officials were warned of strict consequences if found guilty of abetting exam misconduct.
He stressed that the Ghana Education Service (GES) will not shield any staff member—teaching or non-teaching—caught aiding malpractice. The Director General of GES, backed by the GES Council, has been empowered to ensure accountability. “For those already apprehended, there will be no cover-ups or interventions,” Dr. Apaak stated.
The Impact on Students and Society
The Deputy Minister highlighted that cheating not only compromises academic integrity but also teaches students dishonesty at an early stage. By normalizing malpractice, society sends the wrong message that hard work does not pay, which, he warned, is dangerous for Ghana’s future development.
Global Reputation at Risk
Beyond local consequences, Dr. Apaak stressed that examination malpractice weakens the credibility of Ghana’s educational qualifications abroad. Certificates issued by WAEC risk being devalued internationally, as the global community closely monitors the integrity of Ghana’s education system.
Government’s Commitment to Restoring Discipline
As part of President John Dramani Mahama’s reset agenda, Dr. Apaak assured that the government remains committed to restoring discipline and fairness in education. He reaffirmed that the fight against exam malpractice is central to safeguarding the quality of Ghana’s human capital and protecting its global reputation.
“Examination malpractices, in other words, cheating, are detrimental to our education and to the well-being of students. There shouldn’t be any reason why anyone should condone that. So we condemn exam malpractices wherever they may occur and in whatever form or shape they may take,” he said.
Dr. Apaak explained that clear warnings had already been issued to all stakeholders.
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“Before the commencement of WASSCE, I issued a statement at the behest of the Minister, warning invigilators, supervisors, teachers, non-teaching staff, and even WAEC officials of the serious consequences they would face if caught abetting and aiding examination malpractices,” he stated.
“We have empowered the Director General of GES, and with the support of the GES Council, any staff of the Ghana Education Service, teaching or non-teaching, caught abetting and aiding exam malpractices will be held accountable. For those who have already been apprehended, I’m sorry to say, but nobody is going to intervene or cover up,” Dr. Apaak cautioned.
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“We are teaching these young boys and girls dishonesty. We are telling them that hard work doesn’t pay, and that is a danger to the well-being of this republic,” he warned.
“We are also devaluing the certificates that are going to be awarded by WAEC, and that has implications not just for us as a nation but even our global and international reputation. Other nations are watching. The global community is watching,” he said.
The Ghana Education News Editorial Team is a specialized collective of education researchers, journalists, and policy analysts dedicated to providing high-fidelity reporting on the Ghanaian academic landscape. Serving as a primary bridge between governing bodies—including the Ghana Education Service (GES) and WAEC—and the public, the team leverages over a decade of combined experience to serve students, parents, and educators nationwide.
Lead Architect & Editor-in-Chief
The team is led by Wisdom Kojo Eli Hammond, a distinguished Ghanaian Edu-Tech Entrepreneur, AI Solutions Developer, and Product Architect with over 25 years of cross-disciplinary experience in education, finance, and digital media. Wisdom is the visionary force behind SkulManager, Ghana’s premier school management ecosystem, and the Lead Consultant at Education-News Consult.
A self-taught innovator, professional Web Designer, and regular columnist on GhanaWeb, Wisdom engineered SkulManager.com as the only platform strictly tailored to the GES Curriculum. His technical leadership has redefined educational assessment through a Hybrid Marking Ecosystem, pioneering the BECE and WASSCE Home Mock services—a unique fusion of WAEC-trained human examiners and advanced AI marking engines operational since 2022.
Wisdom’s 360-degree view of institutional challenges is grounded in his tenure as College President and Lecturer at Pinnacle College (Achimota), as well as his background as a school administrator and accountant. He is a dedicated lifelong learner currently advancing his studies at the Accra Institute of Technology (AIT), with academic ties to the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).
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