The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has outlined joint efforts between the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to combat examination malpractice to uphold the integrity of the BECE and WASSCE exams in Ghana.
Addressing Parliament on Thursday, November 28, 2025, Iddrisu emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring that students develop into responsible and honest learners, especially in light of recent concerns raised by Emmanuel Kwaku Boam, the Member of Parliament for Pru-East.
Boam had questioned the impact of cancelled examination papers on students, stressing the consequences of such actions.
Mr. Iddrisu confirmed that the cancellation of papers is not done lightly, stating, “cancellations occur only after thorough investigations that show concrete evidence of misconduct such as collusion, the use of electronic devices, and foreign materials.”
He noted that mobile phone smuggling into examination halls had become a significant challenge, further threatening the credibility of the exams.
The release of provisional 2025 WASSCE results on Saturday, November 29, 2025, validated these concerns.
According to WAEC, 653 candidates had their entire results cancelled for possessing mobile phones in the exam halls, while 6,295 candidates faced subject-specific cancellations for bringing in unauthorized materials such as prepared notes, textbooks, and printed sheets.
The Education Minister underscored the importance of protecting the integrity of the exams, stating, “These actions undermine the integrity of our exams. Integrity is at the heart of shaping disciplined and responsible citizens.”
He added that efforts to teach values such as integrity, responsibility, and patriotism are now a part of a broader curriculum reform.
Mr. Iddrisu revealed that the new curriculum, currently under revision for Kindergarten to Primary Six, will incorporate ethics and integrity training to guide young Ghanaians toward becoming ethical individuals.
“We are moulding our future leaders with the values of integrity, and these lessons will start from a young age,” he said.
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