Parents Accuse WAEC Of Forcing Thousands Of Students To Admit Cheating In 2023 WASSCE

Some frustrated parents have accused the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) of forcing thousands of students to admit cheating in the 2023 West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

On Friday, March 1, 2024, a group of parents gathered at the premises of Otec FM in Kumasi to voice their concerns. They were troubled by the fact that minors were compelled to make statements without proper supervision. Despite their protests, the Ashanti Regional branch of WAEC remained unyielding, warning that refusal to comply could result in a lifetime ban from the examination board.

Moreover, the parents questioned the fairness of penalizing students who had passed their exams under the strict invigilation and supervision of WAEC. They argued that if any malpractices had occurred during the exams, it was the invigilators and supervisors who should be held accountable, not the innocent children.

More than 2,000 students, including those represented by the protesting parents, had their results withheld by WAEC for investigation due to suspected malpractices during the 2023 WASSCE. These students were summoned to WAEC offices to provide explanations regarding alleged irregularities detected during the examination. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, their results could either be canceled or released.

Angered and frustrated, the parents called upon the Education Minister, Honorable Osei Yaw Adutwum, to intervene and protect the future prospects of their children. They regarded the forced confessions of exam malpractices by their children as unjust and urged the authorities to hold accountable those responsible, such as invigilators and security officers.

“Our children have been forced to admit engaging in examination malpractices during the 2023 BECE, a situation we deemed it illegal, considering their ages,” an angry parent told Otec News

“There were invigilators and other security officers during the exams, if there had been any sort of malpractices, they should have been apprehended..the invigilators should be questioned not the innocent students, another parent said