WAEC denies coercing of WASSCE graduates with results withheld

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has dismissed claims that students who wrote the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) for School and have had their results withheld and assisting with investigations are being coerced or intimidated to write their statements.
A press statement signed by WAEC Head of Public Affairs John Kapi and sighted by Pretertiary.com said the candidates “are neither coerced nor intimidated into writing these statements, as some of the parents allege.”
“We wish to appeal to parents, guardians and the candidates involved to cooperate with the Council to enable it to expedite action on the results,” the spokesperson for the African Examinations Council said in the statement.
The statement issued by the not-for-profit-making organization (WAEC) continued that “The candidates are required to respond to the allegations of their involvement in examination malpractice.”
“This includes writing of statements in the presence of their guardians. This is the concluding stage of the investigation after which the relevant decisions would be taken,” the West African Examinations Council noted.
The Ghana Examinations Committee of WAEC after its 37th meeting approved the withholding of subject results of some of the 2024 WASSCE for School candidates for their alleged involvement in examination malpractices.
WAEC’s comment comes after a group of frustrated parents and students besieged the Kumasi office of the WAEC on Wednesday, demanding the release of withheld results from the 2024 WASSCE for School Candidates.
Speaking to journalists, the parents said the West African Examinations Council had sent messages instructing their wards to report to the regional office to verify whether they had engaged in any form of malpractice during the exams.
However, JoyNews’ Nana Boakye Yiadom reports that upon arriving at the office as early as 8 a.m., they were met with silence from the Examinations Council’s officials, prompting them to demand urgent answers.
The parents insist that the delay in releasing the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School Candidates results is jeopardizing their children’s academic futures.
They urged the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to expedite the WASSCE withheld results release process and make their final decision promptly to prevent further disruptions in the students’ education.
A total number of 460,611 candidates made up of 212,954 males and 247,657 females from 1003 second cycle schools across the country sat for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School.
The entry figure of students who participated in this year’s WASSCE for School is 2.66% higher than the 2023 entry figure of 448,674. A total number of 4,609 {1.0%) were absent from the examination.