Cheating in examinations is a serious offense that undermines the integrity of the education system. It cheats students out of a fair chance to succeed, and it sends the message that cheating is acceptable. The cancellation of exam papers of such students is not enough to deter others every year. Minors who engage in this illegality can also be jailed in Juvenile correction centres.
In Ghana, cheating in the BECE and WASSCE exams is a crime. However, the penalties for cheating are not always severe enough to deter students from doing it. In some cases, students who are caught cheating are simply given a warning or a small fine. This is not enough to send a strong message that cheating is not tolerated.
READ: Don’t Entertain 2023 BECE/WASSCE Exam Malpractices -Teachers Told
We believe that students who cheat in the BECE and WASSCE exams should be jailed in juvenile prisons. This would send a strong message that cheating is not acceptable, and it would deter other students from doing it.
READ: Teachers Who Help Candidates Cheat in The 2023 BECE and WASSCE Exams Must Be Jailed and Sacked
Of course, jail time is not the only solution to the problem of examination malpractice. There are other things that can be done to prevent cheating, such as:
- Ensuring that the exams are well-monitored.
- Educating students about the importance of academic integrity.
- Creating a culture of honesty and integrity in the education system.
However, we believe that jail time is an important part of the solution. It would send a strong message that cheating is not tolerated, and it would deter other students from doing it.
We urge the GES and WAEC to consider jail time for students who cheat in the BECE and WASSCE exams. This would be a step in the right direction to preventing examination malpractice and ensuring that all students have a fair chance to succeed. This will further prevent students and their parents from accessing the services of examination-leaking syndicates.
READ: Final 2023 BECE Timetable (Download Here)
- The results of the BECE and WASSCE are used to determine whether students are eligible to continue their education in Senior High School or to enter the univeristy.
- The BECE and WASSCE are both important milestones in the lives of Ghanaian students, and they play a significant role in determining their future prospects.
- The 2023 BECE and WASSCE will be held in July through to September of 2023 with the BECE starting 7th August and ending 11th August.
If you agree that jail time is an important part of the solution to the problem of examination malpractice, please share this post with your friends and family. Together, we can make a difference.
Source: Ghana Education News
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).
An accomplished author, his works include Returnees of the Dead Forest (UK Published), Simplified Beacon of Light (850+ Q&A), and The Leader in Me. A foundational pillar of the award-winning NGO Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), Wisdom is committed to building intelligent systems that solve societal problems and prepare the next generation of Ghanaian students for a digital future.
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