WAEC rejects NUGS request for inclusion in its 2 Exam Committees

The West African Examinations Council has dismissed the National Union of Ghana Students’ (NUGS) proposal to be included in the WAEC Investigative Committee and the WAEC Awards and Examiners’ Appointment Committee.

The Head of National Office, WAEC, Dr. Rosemond Wilson, reacting to the Students’ Union request, said existing structures already provide the necessary checks and balances, making student involvement unnecessary.

“NUGS are students, and with our exams, invigilators and supervisors are supposed to be workers of the GES. NUGS are not staff of the GES, so they cannot invigilate or supervise our exams,” the WAEC official explained.

“When it comes to investigations, we deal directly with the candidate, and the minor candidates come along with their parents and teachers to do the investigations. So, we do not actually need NUGS. We don’t know the role they want to play concerning the investigations,” she added.

The WAEC Head of Office’s comment follows the NUGS call for the management of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to allow student representation in its decision-making processes on examinations.

In a statement sighted by Pretertiary.com, NUGS expressed worry that the Ghana Examination Committee of WAEC, which takes critical decisions such as the cancellation and withholding of results, does not have a single student representative.

Even more troubling is the fact that the WAEC Investigative Committee – which probes allegations of malpractice equally excludes the very constituency most affected by its findings: the students,” it said in the statement.

NUGS said it strongly believes that the absence of student voices in the two bodies of WAEC undermines transparency, inclusiveness, and ultimately the credibility of the outcome of any investigation or decision.

“Students deserve a seat at the table where decisions that directly impact their academic futures are made,” the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) said in the statement dated August 24, 2025.

The National Union of Ghana Students also called for a structured framework that guarantees permanent student participation in all national and student examination-related decision-making processes.

“NUGS reiterates that accountability in education must be inclusive and participatory. We cannot continue to discuss and decide the future of students without the voices of students themselves.

We therefore urge WAEC, the Ministry of Education, and all stakeholders to act swiftly to address this democratic deficit. The credibility of our examination system and the trust of millions of young Ghanaians depend on it,” the Ghana Students Union stated.

Welcoming the release of the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the Union congratulated all candidates, teachers, parents, and stakeholders who had worked tirelessly to reach this milestone.

“We commend the West African Examinations Council and the Ghana Education Service for the smooth conduct and release of the results, especially the set timeline for the release of withheld results.

NUGS is, however, deeply concerned about the continuous absence of student representation on key national examination and investigative committees,” the National Union of Ghana Students noted.