WAEC cautions exam supervisors against malpractice as 2023 WASSCE begins

As the 2023 school-based West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) is about to commence across the country, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has cautioned the examination officials, particularly the supervisors, to guide against any form of misconduct in their centres.

The deputy registrar and Ikeja zonal coordinator of WAEC, Dr Amos Dangut, gave the advice at a workshop at the Government Secondary School, Agege, to sensitise the supervisors on the ‘dos and don’ts’ expected of them and candidates during the upcoming examination.

The supervisors comprise secondary school principals and teachers nominated by the various state ministries of education to help the WAEC to conduct its examinations at various centres and ensure the exercise is hitch-free.

Speaking further, Dangut charged the supervisors to understand their roles, which according to him include, educating their students who are the candidates and the invigilators who are the teaching staff as well as the principals on the rules and regulations governing the conduct of the examination.

He said students would need to be warned not to bring prohibited items such as cell phones, scientific calculators and lesson notes, among others into the examination halls, while the invigilators are expected to adhere strictly to the rules of their engagement.

Giving more insights into the workshop with 286 participants in attendance, the head of Exams Administration, WAEC, Mr Adedayo Simeon, told the supervisors that they are expected to ensure that candidates write their names and examination numbers on top of their question papers, while they cross-check the attendance with CIVAPEMS and mark the sheets to ensure candidates’ details match their photo albums.

He also asked them to ensure that they write on the notice board the time each paper is starting and the time candidates are expected to stop as well as to also report cases of malpractice against the security agents or any of the designated WAEC officials.

He said they should all know that they would be held responsible for any breach in their respective centres.

Simeon emphasised that WAEC as an institution had a zero tolerance for misconduct, especially cheating, during its various examinations and would not spare anyone found culpable.

He, however, promised that WAEC would continue to protect the integrity of its certificates by conducting credible examinations in both the May\June school-based and the two other diets for the private candidates.