Liberia has again performed miserably poor in the regionally administered West African Senior Secondary Certificate Exams (WASSCE), formerly known as the West African Examination Council (WAEC) exams annually-administered to senior secondary schools across Anglophone West Africa. This was disclosed by a team of foreign examiners who spearheaded this year’s tests in Liberia.
The Sierra Leonean, Ghanaian and Nigerian examiners blamed the massive failure on the lack of requisite instructional materials. They made the disclosure at a dinner reception held in their honor earlier this week.
According to the examiners, the success of Liberian students depends largely on what they are being taught. Against this backdrop, the team of foreign examiners recommended that the required instructional materials be made available in the country; adding that if Liberian students must do well in these annually-administered tests and be on par with their regional peers, government, through the Ministry of Education, will have to invest in making available and accessible much-needed instructional materials for schools and students.
They expressed optimism that Liberian students have the potential of performing well once the right things are done.
The foreign examiners however admonished their Liberian colleagues to make sure the integrity of the exams is held high. They also encouraged their peers to be ethical and stop taking money from students under the pretext of helping them sail smoothly through the tests.
From time immemorial proctors have been accused of helping to foster malpractices during the annually-administered WASSCE, formerly WAEC exams, for junior and senior secondary schools across the West African sub-region. Some exam monitors have been accused of collecting what is referred to as “flexibility” fees from candidates, pledging to sneak in answers while the tests are being administered.
For its part, the local WEAC office welcomed suggestions put forth by their foreign colleagues; pledging to protect the integrity of the exercise at all times.
This year’s exams were administered under tight surveillance. Both candidates and proctors were all subjected to going through screening by metal detectors. The goal was to ensure that the exams were completely fraud-free. As the metal detectors blew alarm on students with mobiles, calculators, text books, among other prohibited items, it did so, too, for the proctors.
A total of 15,171 male candidates and 17,349 female candidates are also participated in the exams, bringing to the figure for both male and female candidates in the senior high division to 26,992. The weeklong exams ran from June 3 through June 7.
In Montserrado alone, there were testing centers in 87 schools. In total, there were 178 testing centers and 416 school building were used in the process.
The Sierra Leonean, Ghanaian and Nigerian examiners blamed the massive failure on the lack of requisite instructional materials. They made the disclosure at a dinner reception held in their honor earlier this week.
According to the examiners, the success of Liberian students depends largely on what they are being taught. Against this backdrop, the team of foreign examiners recommended that the required instructional materials be made available in the country; adding that if Liberian students must do well in these annually-administered tests and be on par with their regional peers, government, through the Ministry of Education, will have to invest in making available and accessible much-needed instructional materials for schools and students.
They expressed optimism that Liberian students have the potential of performing well once the right things are done.
The foreign examiners however admonished their Liberian colleagues to make sure the integrity of the exams is held high. They also encouraged their peers to be ethical and stop taking money from students under the pretext of helping them sail smoothly through the tests.
From time immemorial proctors have been accused of helping to foster malpractices during the annually-administered WASSCE, formerly WAEC exams, for junior and senior secondary schools across the West African sub-region. Some exam monitors have been accused of collecting what is referred to as “flexibility” fees from candidates, pledging to sneak in answers while the tests are being administered.
For its part, the local WEAC office welcomed suggestions put forth by their foreign colleagues; pledging to protect the integrity of the exercise at all times.
This year’s exams were administered under tight surveillance. Both candidates and proctors were all subjected to going through screening by metal detectors. The goal was to ensure that the exams were completely fraud-free. As the metal detectors blew alarm on students with mobiles, calculators, text books, among other prohibited items, it did so, too, for the proctors.
A total of 15,171 male candidates and 17,349 female candidates are also participated in the exams, bringing to the figure for both male and female candidates in the senior high division to 26,992. The weeklong exams ran from June 3 through June 7.
In Montserrado alone, there were testing centers in 87 schools. In total, there were 178 testing centers and 416 school building were used in the process.
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