The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has described the alleged extortion of candidates by some schools and examination supervisors in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) practice as illegal, unethical and capable of undermining the credibility of the examination.
The examination body, in a statement issued on Monday, said it had received reports that some candidates were being forced to pay unauthorised charges under different excuses.
According to WAEC, the charges were being demanded for items such as transportation of examination scripts, welfare packages and so-called “cooperation” fees.
WAEC said it was particularly disturbed by reports that some schools were also collecting money from candidates for KAPEK calculators already supplied free of charge by the council.
The council warned that such acts would not be tolerated, adding that schools and officials involved could face serious sanctions.
“WAEC has noted cases where schools demand payment for KAPEK calculators already provided by the Council at no cost to candidates. WAEC condemns these practices as illegal, unethical and a direct threat to the integrity of the WASSCE,” the statement said.
The examination body said all schools, supervisors and other officials connected with the conduct of the examination must desist from any form of illegal collection from candidates. WAEC warned that any individual or institution found culpable would be sanctioned in line with its rules and relevant laws.
The council listed possible sanctions to include derecognition of schools, blacklisting of officials, prosecution and referral to appropriate authorities for disciplinary action.
It added that the integrity of WASSCE must be protected and urged parents, candidates and stakeholders to report cases of extortion or unethical conduct during the examination. The council maintained that candidates should not be subjected to additional financial burden outside approved examination requirements.
