The Ghana Education Service (GES) has issued a stern warning to all examination officials ahead of the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination for School Candidates (WASSCE-SC), cautioning that any supervisor or invigilator caught aiding candidates to cheat will be summarily dismissed from service.
The acting Director-General of the GES, Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, conveyed the warning during a media briefing in Accra on Monday.
According to him, the GES Council has granted full authority to the service to dismiss any examination official found to be complicit in any form of malpractice.
Prof. Davis emphasized the devastating consequences examination fraud has on the credibility of the national education system and the value of academic certificates.
He urged all supervisors and invigilators to conduct themselves with integrity and professionalism throughout the examination period.
He stated that the GES, in collaboration with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and security agencies, is working to ensure strict enforcement of regulations and to maintain the integrity of the examination process.
Prof. Davis also used the opportunity to appeal to stakeholders, including school heads, teachers, parents, and the candidates themselves, to support efforts to deliver a credible examination free from collusion and illegal assistance.
On matters relating to schools located in volatile areas, Prof. Davis assured the public that adequate security arrangements have been made to protect candidates and ensure a smooth conduct of the exams.
He referenced ongoing coordination between the GES and national security agencies in areas such as Bawku SHS and Zuarungu SHS in the Upper East Region, Nalerigu SHS in the North East Region, and Nkwanta SHS in the Oti Region.
He noted that students in those schools would benefit from a visible security presence and, where necessary, security escorts to guarantee their safety. At Nkwanta SHS specifically, security posts have been established within the school premises to provide round-the-clock protection during the examination period.
The 2025 edition of the WASSCE-SC officially begins today with the commencement of practical examinations. The written papers are scheduled to start on August 20 and conclude on September 19.
This year, a total of 461,640 candidates are expected to take part in the exams across 701 designated centres nationwide. The cohort comprises 207,381 males and 254,259 females, each expected to write an average of eight subjects out of the 65 subjects on offer.
In preparation for the exams, the government, through the GES, has disbursed over GH¢15.8 million to cover the cost of practical fees for candidates.
Prof. Davis urged the students to focus on their preparation, avoid all forms of malpractice, and disregard false hopes of leaked questions, commonly referred to as “apo.”
He reiterated that any student caught engaging in fraudulent activities during the examination would face strict penalties, and encouraged them to uphold the values of honesty, discipline, and self-reliance.
