Two days into the 2024 Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE), 16 teachers, including examination officials, have been arrested for their involvement in malpractice at various centres nationwide.
The arrests were carried out by the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) and local agents recruited by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), with all suspects now being processed for court.
John Kapi, Head of WAEC’s Public Relations Unit, briefed the Daily Graphic on the arrests.
Among those detained were three teachers at the Save our Souls exam centre in Bekwai, Ashanti Region, who were caught trying to assist candidates. Additionally, two unrelated individuals were arrested at the same centre for similar attempts.
At the Jinijini Senior High School centre in the Bono Region, two invigilators were apprehended for taking snapshots of the English Language question papers and sharing them on a WhatsApp platform.
In the Bono East Region, another invigilator was found with answers to the Religious and Moral Education questions on his mobile phone.
Further arrests included a teacher at Chemu Senior High School in Tema for sharing question papers on a WhatsApp platform, and an invigilator at Liberty Hills School centre for taking pictures of the Science paper.
In the Ashanti Region, two invigilators were detained for possessing a phone and answer sheets in the exam hall. Four teachers from DESVY International School were also arrested at the Santoe Basic School centre for solving exam questions on their school bus.
Mr. Kapi emphasized that briefing sessions were conducted prior to the exams, warning supervisors against bringing mobile phones to examination centres.
Despite these warnings, some chose to ignore the rules, leading to their arrests. He advised candidates to avoid seeking assistance, assuring them that the questions were within their capabilities.
