The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has assured candidates and the public that all outstanding results from the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) will be released by February 28, 2025.
This comes after extensive investigations into various cases of examination malpractice during the 2024 exams, which involved 460,611 candidates from 1,003 schools.
The results were initially released on December 30, 2024, but WAEC withheld those of some candidates due to irregularities, including the use of foreign materials, possession of mobile phones in the examination halls, and suspected collusion among candidates.
In some instances, invigilators were reported to have assisted candidates. While cases of a criminal nature were referred to the police, others were dealt with internally by the Council.
Following the completion of investigations, WAEC confirmed that the subject results of some candidates were cancelled for bringing foreign materials into the exam hall.
Also, the entire results of others were cancelled for possessing mobile phones during the exams, while results from several schools were withheld after examiners detected possible collusion during the marking process.
WAEC explained that the affected candidates were invited for a fair hearing, where they were given the opportunity to respond to the allegations.
The process involved scrutiny of their scripts and interviews in the presence of their parents or guardians.
Based on these findings, the Council will soon announce the final status of their results.
Some candidates and their schools, dissatisfied with WAEC’s actions, sought redress in court.
While the court ruled in favour of the candidates ordering the release of their results, WAEC has since filed a stay of execution pending appeal, which is set for hearing on February 20, 2025.
Meanwhile, hearings for other candidates are ongoing, and WAEC has been releasing results for those cleared of any wrongdoing.
Mr John Kapi, Head of Public Relations at WAEC, stressed that the Council follows established rules and does not take arbitrary decisions.
He also appealed to parents, guardians, and all stakeholders to collaborate with the Council to ensure the process is completed swiftly.
He further expressed concern about the increasing cases of examination malpractice, describing it as a worrying trend.
According to him, curbing this menace requires a collective effort from parents, the media, and the public to safeguard the credibility of examinations and ensure that certificates are awarded to deserving candidates.
WAEC reaffirmed its commitment to fairness and transparency in the examination process and assured candidates that no one would be unfairly disadvantaged.
Source: Philip Abutiate/Bullet TV
