The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has justified its decision to bar 154 Sekondi College candidates from Thursday’s Chemistry theory and objective papers, emphasising that examination rules prohibit late arrivals from entering the hall after the stipulated reporting time.
The clarification comes in response to appeals from the school’s Parent‑Teacher Association (PTA), which urged that the affected students be granted another opportunity, citing heavy rainfall as the cause of their lateness. According to the PTA, the candidates were turned away by an external invigilator.
Speaking to Citi News, WAEC’s Head of Public Affairs, John Kapi, underscored that the examination is conducted simultaneously across the West African sub‑region, making strict adherence to regulations vital for safeguarding its integrity. He acknowledged that extreme circumstances, such as flooding, could warrant concern, but noted that preliminary reports indicated the students were already on campus and did not face long travel distances to reach the examination hall.
“The information reaching us indicates that some were at the ICT lab, some were in the classroom, some were in the dormitories; they didn’t have to travel any distance to get to the examination hall.
“And mind you, there were others who were in there already and were writing, according to the report that we received. So, obviously, something may have gone wrong to make some of them not want to get into the examination hall early enough to start the exam.” Mr. Kapi indicated that the affected candidates would not be granted a special opportunity to rewrite the paper and would instead have to wait for the next examination cycle.
“They will only have a chance to rewrite in another cycle of examination. So, for example, if we are going to conduct a NOV/DEC this year, they are at liberty to register and write,” he stated. The incident has generated debate among parents and education stakeholders, with some calling for leniency in light of the circumstances surrounding the candidates’ lateness.
Source: Juliana Odame Asare
