The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has stated that it would not afford the over 200 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates who failed to write the first two papers of the exercise Monday another chance to do so.
The candidates from four communities at Bindi South in the Bunpkurugu-Yunyoo District of the Northern region failed to sit the exams Monday June 5, 2017 following a misunderstanding between chiefs and regional education authorities over location of examinations centres.
The candidates; 70 from Kanbatiak Junior High School, Guanging 51, Gbingbamong 79 and 18 Yenupinii were prevented from traveling to Gbankoni primary school center to write the exams by the Chief of Kanbatiak and some residents after education authorities failed to provide a center closer to the communities despite initial pledges.
Explaining the Council’s decision Tuesday in an interview with Citi FM, the Head of WAEC Ghana Rev. Samuel Olenu said rescheduling Monday’s exercise to allow the affected candidates sit the papers they missed is improbable.
“That one they would have to use the February window for re-sitters because that one once it is gone you can’t go back and salvage that one,” he maintained.
Asked if WAEC would not be able to set fresh exams questions for them since their inability to sit Monday’s paper was not their fault; Rev. Olenu replied “is not like a classroom test. It has got its own procedures and rules and regulations. And if we did that it would create difficulty for the grading system of the majority. So the best way to handle this is for them to use the February window.”
The effect of WAEC’s decision is that the affected students would not be able to enrol in Senior High Schoool this year.
