Let's make examinations valid - Prof. Fletcher

Accra, March 12, GNA - Professor Jonathan Arko Fletcher, Deputy Director of the Institute of Education, University of Cape-Coast, on Wednessday urged stakeholders to help make examinations valid by preventing examination malpractices.

He pointed out that examination malpractices undermined the very essence of examinations, created a society where wrong people were used for the right jobs, and increased laziness and other vices among students, and in the society as a whole.

Prof. Fletcher said this at a stakeholders meeting organised by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), to dialogue on examination malpractices.

The forum brought together students from various senior high schools, head of schools, teachers, top officials of the Ghana Education Service, the WAEC, and the Ministry of Education.

Prof. Fletcher said it was important that the root causes of examination malpractices were identified, to enable the stakeholders dealt with the malaise holistically.

"Engaging in examination malpractices does not help the nation in any way, but rather sink the nation, since we are not able to correctly measure the value of the human resource," he said, calling on all stakeholders to help fight and rid our society of examination malpractices.

Very Rev. Sam Nii Mai Ollenu, Head of the National Office at WAEC, said examination malpractices were a terrible phenomenon which should not be tolerated, since they threatened the moral fibre of society and could lead to the selection of misfits into vital and sensitive positions in the nation.

"It is therefore critical for all stakeholders to help eliminate examination malpractices from our educational system," he said

He pointed out that the growth in the use of ICT had transformed the nature of examination malpractices in recent times, into something more complex than one institution could handle, and charged the Police, Judiciary and the Media, to help deal with the issue.

Giving examples, Rev. Ollenu said the GES had given approval to the WAEC to close the Obuasi Centre for WASSCE private candidates, due to persistent mass cheating over the past years.

Mr Alex Kyeremeh, Deputy Minister of Education, in charge of Basic Education, pledged the Ministry of Education's support to deal with the issue of examination malpractices.

"Let's all join hands and strategize to deal with this issue of examination malpractices," he said passionately.

Questions about remedial institutions and private schools buying questions for their students, dominated during question time.

However, WAEC assured students that people should be bold to come out with evidence for effective solutions.