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01.03.2015 Education

Teachers To Abandon Invigilation Of WASSCE-2015

By Zuberu Aliu
Teachers To Abandon Invigilation Of WASSCE-2015
01.03.2015 LISTEN

The 2015 West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination is set to commence in March, 2015. This is one of the important events on the academic calendar of Ghana's education system. It is crucial to give this examination all the attention it deserves- for it's a criterion meant for the selection of deserving candidates to proceed to the tertiary level. But this year's examination might suffer as many teachers across the country are not ready to accept the job as invigilators.

This might come as a surprise to parents, the examining body and other stakeholders in the education sector. But for the teachers, this is long overdue. One of the arguments the teachers are advancing bothers on security. A case in point, according to the teachers, was the alleged attack on invigilators by final year students of the Wa Senior High School. A female invigilator was attacked for enforcing the rules set by the WAEC for the conduct of the examination. Their fear sadly is that, these attacks are not just verbal. Candidates usually take the law into their own hands and take offensive weapons to the various examination centres. In a similar vein, invigilators stand the risk of losing their properties. For instance, madam Nketsiah of the Wa Senior High School lost her car to the unruly behavior of candidates.

Added to the above concern is the low allowances paid to invigilators. The West Africa Examination Council is responsible for the administration of this examination. For this reason, the council pays the allowances due the invigilators. However, the teachers involve belief allowances pay to them do not merit their efforts and the risk involve. It is mind boggling according to the teachers 'why WAEC pays more for the private exams.'

What prospective invigilators want is a guaranteed security. A reliable security system must be in place at the examination centres throughout the country. If this is done, people with integrity would be ready to supervise and invigilate this very important examination. The act of impunity by candidates will discourage the right people to invigilate the exams and this can question the integrity of the WASSCE.

Zuberu Aliu

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