Investigate Leaked WASSCE Papers -Africa Education Watch to CID 

Ghana Education News | Investigate Leaked WASSCE papers -Africa Education Watch Petitions CID

The Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) says it is time for the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service to commence serious investigations to unravel circumstances that lead to the leakages experienced during the 2020 WASSCE.

The Policy think tank’s Executive Director, Kofi Asare made the call after WAEC in its second update on the ongoing WASSCE 2021 stated that some of the papers have been compromised and mass leakage has been identified. In some instances, sections of some papers were circulated on social media. 

At the same time, Asare’s institution has accumulated evidence that he believes will assist in enhancing the examination body’s quality of assessment, by adding security and improving its credibility.

Speaking on Top Story he said, “we have been intercepting questions, between 10:30 pm and 4:00 am, at least for four WASSCE subjects. It started from the 20th of August with Food and Nutrition 3, then it moved to Elective Maths sometime last week.”

“This week English leaked and on the same day as English paper, NAPTEX Social Studies came around. Then this dawn at 4:00 am we got the Physics, so this is the fifth one we have intercepted.”

In a Wednesday interview with Evans Mensah, Mr. Asare said that Eduwatch initiated conversations with the CID regarding the investigations on Tuesday, and that they then provided proof and sources for the leaked questions.

They bought those questions between GHS30 and 100 from several social media networks, according to him.

“So we think that it is time for the CID to do their work and assist the government of Ghana, find out where the questions are leaking. Obviously, the questions are not leaking in the classroom, they are not leaking in the centres.”

“They are leaking papers a night before that particular paper is written, so all the time you realize that the time it leaks is actually a time when the questions should be in the safe custody of the strong room (of WAEC) and not at the schools. That is why we think that the CID must step in,” Mr. Asare added.

Following confirmation from WAEC that two papers in the current West African Senior School Certificate Examinations for 2021 have been tampered with, his statement indicated.

Investigate leaked WASSCE papers is the latest call by the education think tank which has called on the CID to take the necessary action.

As a result of the Council’s investigations, it was discovered that for instance excerpts from the 2021 Elective Mathematics and English Language examinations were already in the public domains prior to the start of the paper.

Mr. Goerge Ohene-Mantey, the head of WAEC’s Test Administration, told stakeholders that “the cheating social media groups” were in full gear when sections of the papers were shared before the exam.

Eduwatch, on the other hand, thinks that tracing offenders to rogue social media platforms should be a post-facto process, especially when they are not the source of the information.

“It leaks from the ground, moves to the schools, and ends up on social media. Indeed our monitors in about 100 schools confirm that the questions get to the schools before they get to the social media platforms,” Mr. Asare said.

It’s worth repeating that he commended WAEC for its willingness to shift external invigilators at certain institutions where he’s noticed malpractices.

READ: WASSCE 2021 Massive Leakage: Africa Education Watch was right from the word go

“We have about 53 schools on our list where we cannot say that there is any level of invigilation taking place or invigilators are compromised both internal and external” he added.

READ: WAEC says 2021 WASSCE E-Maths, English Language papers leaked

He said that Eduwatch is willing to supply WAEC with their list so that the action might expand there as well.