GES, MoE to investigate 2025 BECE malpractice in JoyNews exposé

The Ghana Education Service (GES), under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, has given assurance that it will investigate this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) malpractice, exposed in the JoyNews documentary.

The Ghana Education Service (GES), in a statement sighted by Pretertiary.com it will obtain a copy of the full documentary with the original transcripts and scrutinise the allegation for further investigation.

“The GES wishes to assure the public that a copy of the full documentary with the original transcripts will be obtained and scrutinised immediately, after which a full-scale investigation would be conducted into the allegations.

Management reiterates its absolute aversion to examination malpractice. Cheating undermines the integrity of our education system, destroys meritocracy, and produces graduates who lack the competencies required for national development,” the Ghana Education Service said in the statement.

With the support of the Minister of Education, Mr Haruna Iddrisu and the GES Council, the Service said it will sanction any GES official found to have been involved in aid cheating in the 2025 BECE.

Teaching or non-teaching staff of GES found guilty of examination malpractice in the national examination, the Education Service says, will face severe disciplinary action in accordance with the law and established Service regulations.

“Management has the support of the Minister for Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, and the GES Council, to sanction any official of the Service- teaching or non-teaching- found to have been involved in aiding or abetting cheating in the examination.

Such persons, if found guilty, will face severe disciplinary action in accordance with the law and established Service regulations,” GES said in the statement signed by its Head of Public Relations, Daniel Fenyi.

The statement concluded, “Management assures all stakeholders that GES remains committed to upholding the integrity of examinations and will collaborate fully with WAEC, National Security, and law enforcement agencies to stamp out this menace.

The documentary titled “Dark World of BECE”, scheduled to be aired on September 8, 2025, exposes widespread cheating in the national examination involving Ghana Education Service (GES) officials and invigilators.

Excerpts of the documentary, sighted by Pretertiary.com, indicated that officials of the Ghana Education Service (GES) colluded with invigilators, accepting as little as GH¢60 to allow candidates to cheat in the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE).

At the Derby Avenue RC Basic School in Accra, investigators found that invigilators were promised GH¢60 daily to look the other way as candidates smuggled mobile phones into examination halls, used artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT and even received solved questions directly from officials.

At St. George’s Anglican, the investigators discovered that supervisors distributed envelopes containing GH¢400 to invigilators, while candidates themselves were instructed to make daily payments.

The investigation revealed that malpractice was carefully organised: invigilators dictated answers, circulated handwritten and printed solutions, and collected the evidence before candidates left the halls.

According to the documentary, some supervisors acted as lookouts against the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Security officials, ensuring malpractice went undetected.

Produced by GH Probe investigative journalist Francisca Enchill, the Accra-based television station says the full documentary airs on Monday, 8th September 2025, on JoyNews’ AM Show, Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, and Joy Prime’s Prime Morning.

A total of 603,328 candidates, comprising 297,250 males and 306,078 females, from nineteen thousand, five hundred and five (19,505) Junior High Schools (JHSs) entered for the school examination.

This includes seventy-two (72 ) candidates with visual impairment, two hundred and thirty-nine (239) with hearing impairment, and one hundred and sixty-one (161) candidates with other test accommodation needs.

The examination was conducted at two thousand, two hundred and thirty-seven (2,237 ) centres across the country. Out of the total number, two thousand, five hundred and twenty-six (2,526) candidates were absent.

The BECE for Private Candidates recorded a total entry figure of one thousand, three hundred and ninety (1,661) candidates. This was made up of eight hundred and fifty-eight (858) males and eight hundred and three (803 ) females.

Fifteen (15) centres, mostly in the regional capitals, were used for the BECE for Private Candidates. Out of the total number of candidates who entered for the examination, fifty-seven (57) were absent.