The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has derecognized Daffiama Senior High School (SHS) in the Upper West Region as an examination center following allegations of widespread cheating during the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The decision comes after WAEC officials discovered evidence of malpractice during the recent exams, raising concerns about the integrity of the institution. According to Mr. Donald Tuor, the Upper West Regional Controller of WAEC, 15 mobile phones were confiscated from students and invigilators at the school during the examinations.
“If we had found all 15 phones in one hall, we would have blamed the invigilator, but they were found in different halls in the school,” Mr. Tuor stated during an interview on Info Radio.
In addition to the confiscation of mobile phones, invigilators also discovered other foreign materials in the possession of candidates in the examination hall, further confirming the cheating allegations.
As a result of the malpractice, WAEC withdrew Daffiama SHS’s accreditation as an examination center. The affected students were moved to Queen of Peace Senior High School to complete the remainder of their WASSCE papers.
Mr. Tuor also revealed that other schools in the region were implicated in examination malpractices, with foreign materials found on students during the exams. Some students had their entire exam papers canceled due to their involvement in cheating.
The 2024 WASSCE, which commenced on Monday, August 5, and concluded on Friday, September 20, saw a total of 460,611 candidates from 1,003 recognized senior high schools across the country participating. Of these, 212,954 were males and 247,657 were females.
WAEC’s decision to derecognize Daffiama SHS serves as a stern warning to other institutions, emphasizing the need for integrity and accountability in Ghana’s educational system.
