The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is a non-revenue-making examining organization whose aims are to carry out examinations in the community curiosity and award certificates that does not stand for lower criteria of attainment than equivalent certificates of examining authorities in the United Kingdom.
To fulfil these aims, it organises annually standardized check for junior substantial faculty students (Fundamental Schooling Certification Evaluation, BECE) to development into senior superior colleges, whilst West African Senior University Certificate Evaluation (WASSCE), is the examination taken by senior substantial faculty pupils to get into tertiary establishments.
Preparations were far in progress to producing this year’s WASSCE which typically starts off at the afterwards component of March. Timetable covering aspects of the perform of the examinations was introduced and the examinations were being to start on the March 30, 2020 and will end on June 12, 2020.
In Ghana, the WASSCE 2020 evaluation will see above 500,000 students graduating for the community educational institutions who would be the initial batch of candidates manufactured by the free SHS plan launched by the Akufo-Addo govt.
On the other hand, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, WAEC declared on March 20, 2020 that it has place on keep the perform of the WASSCE for college candidates, 2020 until finally more notice. This choice was designed to help the protocols put in spot by governments of WAEC member countries (Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Liberia) to avert the distribute of the virus.
WAEC is yet to structure and release a new timetable for the conduct of the evaluation which will be built accessible to all stakeholders when we have normality with the wellbeing predicament.
This report seems to be at a different way WASSCE, 2020 can be organised seeking at the peculiar situation the coronavirus pandemic has place us in.
The Ghana Education Company purchased the speedy and indefinite closure of educational facilities hosting last yr students in the two Junior and Senior High Universities productive March 23, 2020.
At that time, it was still left with only a 7 days to commence WASSCE, 2020 in accordance to the timetable unveiled by WAEC. The implication of this is that all senior superior universities should really have been performed or almost performed with the preparation of their candidates for the examinations a week to a major assessment.
Not significantly educating was expected at this time and no matter what tuition candidates needed for the tests ought to be in the concluding phase.
On the component of WAEC, all logistics for the prosperous carry out of the tests (placing test things, solution booklets and scannable sheets) really should have been completely ready just one week to producing an global examination. I am stating all this to say that WASSCE, 2020 was place on an indefinite hold not mainly because of WAEC unpreparedness or because candidates’ have been unready but to avert the distribute of the novel coronavirus.
For those schools who will complain of not being ready for the examinations, Ghana Training Service can fill-in the gaps by concentrating on matters in the latter element of the curriculum on its Television understanding channel which is by now being aired for all candidates even as learners are at home OR WAEC can make your mind up to get particular matters expected per their syllabus to be taught in the last semester out of the take a look at objects they will established so all candidates will have a fair ground and there will be no complains.
Now, coming to the perform of the tests itself when the well being predicament improves, the option I advise is candidates must not vacation all around the nation to their respective faculties just to create the examinations. This can even be a possibility post-pandemic predicament as the virus can enter into a next section of infections. Candidates ought to be permitted to create from their houses at tests centres i.e. many senior superior colleges close to them. Almost each individual district has a senior high college and hence this is achievable. The test is as a result heading to get a identical format as the Nov/Dec edition of WASSCE.
This indicates that a applicant who is a scholar of Asamankese SHS and stays at Achimota will not have to vacation back to Asamankese to produce the examinations, but his centre for the examination can be Achimota SHS. Furthermore, a St. Peter’s SHS college student who stays in Konongo will also not journey all the way to Nkwatia for the examinations but can also produce it in the closest SHS in Konongo.
WAEC exams are standardized with specific instructions for administering and scoring the examination. Directions are so specific and uniform that techniques are regular for different buyers of the examination at unique geographical places. Hence the school or the place a prospect writes the examination is not anticipated to affect the outcome therefore it is not a component for thing to consider. The exact exams are prepared by Wesley Women SHS as effectively as Bepong SHS. Why then should we danger students travelling all over the country in a pandemic condition just to compose exact examinations staying penned in a nearby school?
The earlier mentioned technique will expose the genuine toughness of candidates and educational facilities at big simply because of the adhering to:
Very first, a Legon PRESEC applicant who stays in Nkawkaw is going to create his examinations at Nkawkaw SHS and use what ever means they have there and vice versa. There is no rationale to complain about this mainly because we have been convincing ourselves that irrespective of one’s faculty or resources, all candidates really should write the exact same examinations with no becoming afflicted by the atmosphere. It will inform us whether the availability of specific means (e.g. science means) is actually a component which influences the effects of candidates in the distinct types of faculty.
Next, this method to producing WASSCE, 2020 will help heal the mischief that some schools help their candidates in the course of examinations. Candidates from distinctive colleges will be converging at a centre so no single faculty can have the opportunity to aid its candidates. A neutral examination centre would present a reasonable ground with no home biases just like BECE.
Also, each and every applicant has a exclusive index quantity for the tests which captures their school’s code therefore no make any difference where a candidate writes the test, their rating will feed into their school’s info and additional to their cumulative documents. Candidates’ index numbers relatively than their names are utilized by WAEC.
We are in uncharted territory the coronavirus pandemic has positioned education and learning and exams in a novel predicament which requires novel wondering and looking at all options. I think this technique is ideal on the two educational and overall health grounds for this reason worthy of perfection and consideration.
—
Solomon Nana Kwame Ansong is an educationist with Biochemistry history, who has desire in academic and social difficulties.
