Don’t bend BECE 2021 rules for candidates, allow the unprepared to fail – Invigilators, teachers told

Invigilators and teachers whose students will be writing the 2021 BECE have been advised not to bend the rules of the exam or assist candidates during the examination in any illegal way.

“As teachers, you have given your students the best preparation for the BECE, and will continue to give pep talks in between papers but do not be tempted to mess up by engaging in acts of illegality during the BECE.”

“You will be putting your reputation, life, and your profession on the line for students and once you are caught or interdicted your world comes crashing down. Allow students who failed to prepare well and are therefore failing I the examination, go ahead and fail.” This is the advice from Mr. Wisdom Hammond, Editor of Ghanaeducation.org.

As a teacher, your work ends the moment the candidate enters the examination hall. Any attempt to act and help him or her may land you in trouble. As invigilators, you are to represent WAEC and seek their best interest as their agents in the conduct of the examinatin hence play that role and nothing else he added.

The call: Don’t bend BECE 2021 rules for candidates, allow the unprepared to fail may seem harsh but that is what is needed to get students to be serious as teachers give of their best in preparing them for the examination.

He furthered that …If candidates are unable to answer questions, let them be. If they ask for assistance while the examination is ongoing, do not help. When they bring in foreign materials, get them reported to police officers at post. Should they attempt to bribe you with money and other material things as individuals, groups, teachers, or schools, report the matter to supervisors and the security officer at the examination centre. Don’t be compromised and never be greedy or drop your guard in the name of helping them to cheat.

WAEC needs to know that, both public and private schools have come out with new ways of encouraging cheating in examinations such as the BECE.

Schools, heads of schools, teachers, and candidates may sometimes contribute money which is handed over to the leader of the WAEC examination officers at the examination centre to be used to feed officers over the examination period.

Sometimes, the lunch for each day is bought and supplied to the officers at post. This act of kindness may look harmless but it is one of the novel strategies deployed to ensure Invigilators are not legally strict in the enforcement of the examination rules so that candidates can cheat during the examination.

The advice to examination officers comes in the wake of the Africa Education Watch report on 2021 WASSCE.

WAEC must eat a humble pie and accept the reality that its examinations are beginning to lose credibility as a result of examination leakages and its inability to sanitize the examination space starting from its own camp.

Africa Education Watch is becoming the sole game changer and gatekeeper in ensuring the conduct of examinations by WAEC is monitored and queried to ensure the right things are done.

The information available from the legal department of WAEC shows that some persons arrested and prosecuted for engaging in one or more examination malpractices have been charged up to 100 penalty units. The damage caused the credibility and sanctity of WAEC administered examinations is higher than such punitive measures and so it does not deter candidates, invigilators, rogue websites, and examination leaking syndicates operating in the country.

The 2021 edition of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) will be administered by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) from Monday 15 November to Friday 19th November.

Examination malpractices in the form of leakages have been on the rise and have become sophisticated and well-coordinated among illegal stakeholders who go every length to have illegal access to examination materials such as questions and answers to be administered to candidates and sell them via social media.

Read: Minority files motion to probe 2011 to 2021 WASSCE School leakages

Examination supervisors, Invigilators, and teachers have also been caught in the attempt to provide assistance to candidates before and during the examination in ways that go contrary to the rules that govern the Examination.

Read: BECE 2021 Final Trial Questions For BECE Candidates (Science & RME)

Let us save the 2021 BECE from losing its credibility, say no to all forms of illegality.

Source: Wisdom Hammond: Lecturer & Freelance Journalist.