Teacher trainees' results missing

The 2013 examination results of three teacher trainees of the Akrokeri College of Education cannot be traced, though other candidates' results had been released by the University of Cape Coast (UCC).

The affected candidates had before their names “ABSENT” implying they did not take part in the Trends in Education and School Management (EPS 301) and Introduction to Guidance and Counselling (EPS 302) examination papers written in July/August 2013.

The College has denied any underhand dealing after a court order compelled it (Akrokeri College of Education) to allow the students accused of rioting against unpaid allowances in 2013 to write the exam.

Ghana News Agency's investigation has revealed that the three students wrote the examination under strict supervision and were denied access to the attendance sheet, raising profound suspicion that the papers had been intercepted by college authorities.

The affected students, Mr Richard Asante, Salim Suleiman Alhassan and George Owusu, a physically challenged person, were put in separate classrooms; form 1A, 1B and 1C while their colleagues were in the main exam hall.

Mr Alhassan said though they requested for the attendance sheet, the internal invigilator refused to produce it while the external invigilator from UCC also told them their case was different and that their papers would be packaged separately.

Mr Asante said though the external supervisor assured them the papers would be marked, the results had been released without theirs, a situation affecting their confirmation to status of professional teachers in the Ghana Education Service.

Principal of the College, Dr Emmanuel Kwasi Asiedu confirmed in an interview that the candidates wrote the examination in a secluded hall, but could not tell whether they signed the attendance sheet or not.

Dr Aseidu said, though the students had been dismissed by the College Council, the punishment was reviewed later to rustication, after the students had apologised to college authorities.

He said the college has made follow-ups to the UCC to find out why the results of the three students had not been released but was yet to receive any response.

Professor Frederick Ocansey, Director of the Institute of Education of the UCC, when contacted, however said there had not been any query concerning the affected students.

Professor Ocansey said: “I am yet to receive any query on the exam results of the students… it hasn't reached my desk yet… we'll wait for a while if it does not come we'll find out from the college.”

A check at the UCC Institute of Education indicated that all final results of the 2013 examination had been released and forwarded to the colleges of education.

There had not also been any query raised by the authorities of the Akrokeri College for redress as had been the practice when irregularities in students' external assessment occurred.

Credit: GNA