Examination candidates angry at WAEC

Nii Christian Johnson assures the candidates that the papers to be re-sited are much secured. Some candidates of the ongoing Senior High School Examinations are angry at WAEC’s decision to cancel and reschedule some of the exam papers following reports of leakage of exam questions. The re-sit of the English Paper 1 is scheduled for Friday, October 16 while the Mathematics paper which was originally scheduled for Saturday has been rescheduled for October 17. Some of the frustrated candidates told Joy News the cancellation of the papers is unfair. According to the candidates, WAEC is to blame for the leakages. “The WAEC officials, they set the questions, they gave it out, they sold it to people”, one of the frustrated candidates said. Meanwhile, Acting National Head of WAEC, Nii Christian Johnson says the decision to cancel the papers is in the best interest of candidates who did not get the leaked questions. “They have every right to be angry. But it’s in their interest and that of the nation as a whole”. Speaking to Joy News, Nii Christian Johnson said though the WAEC has proper security in place some "criminals" sometimes break through the system. He also conceded some of the leakages have been as result of negligence on the part of WAEC, but stressed his outfit is working on that. However, an Educationist, I. K. Gyasi, blames parents and students for wanting to pass exams by fair or foul means. “Human greed, the desire of both parents and their children to pass the exams by fair or foul means, students not studying properly for examinations, these to me account for this problem”, he said. He also blames the long channel the exams papers go through as possible source of leakage. According to him, the paper passes through the Chief Examiner who sets the questions, the Moderator who sets the standard, the printers that print the papers and finally the exam council officials. He however ruled out the possibility of the police leaking the questions, even though the papers are kept with the police. Mr Gyasi said it is the printers and the exam council officials who should be held accountable for such leakages. “Proprietors of some basic schools buy the papers from WACE the exams council”, he said. Nii Christian Johnson assures the candidates that the papers to be re-sited are much secured. By: Dorcas Efe Mensah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana