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The Anti-Corruption Commission ACC has warned school authorities against extortion and exam malpractice in the country.
This was according to a press release from the commission today July 19, 2021.
The release states that the commission has become aware of the act of some school authorities who were in the habit of collecting monies from parents and students for the issuance of school results the commissioner asked such people to desist from such act or face the law.
They further went on to talk about schools that collect monies from prospective candidates for the forthcoming West African Senior Secondary School Examinations (WASSCE) in a bid to provide the environment for the candidates to engage in examination malpractices, they brought the attention of such schools to the penalty involved if you caught doing such.
The commission also used the opportunity to bring the attention of the public to numbers parents are to call if they want to report an issue which is; 077-985-985/077-986-986 and 515 (all networks).
The release reads as follows;
ACC WARNS SCHOOL AUTHORITIES AGAINST EXTORTION AND EXAMINATION MALPRACTICES
It has come to the attention of the Anti-Corruption Commission ACC, through several complaints from members of the public, that some school authorities are engaged in extortion of monies from pupils, parents, and guardians, for the issuance of end of year school results and report cards. It is further alleged that certain schools are surreptitiously demanding huge sums of money from prospective candidates for the forthcoming West African Senior Secondary School Examinations (WASSCE) in a bid to provide the environment for the candidates to engage in examination malpractices.
The Commission is reminding school authorities that these acts are clearly in breach of Section 28 of the Anti-Corruption Act 2008 as amended in 2019, which prohibits the offering and soliciting of an advantage; and the principles guiding the Free Quality Education.
Similarly, Section 128(3) of the Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Act of 2019 strongly prohibits examination malpractices of any kind; which penalty, upon conviction, is a fine of not less than Fifty (50) Million Leones or imprisonment of not less than five years, or both such fine and imprisonment.
The ACC, therefore, wishes to remind teachers, school authorities, and the general public that receiving an advantage, whether solicited or not, is a crime under the Anti-Corruption Act 2008 as amended in 2019. Any teacher, school authority, or member of the public caught in the practice, and cannot provide policy justification from the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), will be seriously dealt with in accordance with the law.
In this regard, members of the public are encouraged to report any of such corrupt acts to the ACC, by calling on the following free phone numbers: 077-985-985/077-986-986 and 515 (all networks).
