The Chief Education Officer of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Alhaji Kamara has yesterday debunked rumours hovering on social media that the West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) is not going to be held this year.

In an interview with the CEO at his New England office, Mr. Kamara said, “as a ministry and a government we are not happy about the false rumour that is going on that there is not going to be WASSCE examination this year.”

He rebuffed the rumour as “totally false and unacceptable” and that “it is unfounded and baseless.”

“I want to inform all the pupils, the teachers as well as parents that there are going to be an examination for WASSCE this year and it has been schedule for September and October,” he stressed.

He explained that the headquarters in Ghana has already released the timetable for this year’s WASSCE examination and “it is going to start at the end of August.” Mr. Kamara explained “for the simple fact that (they’ve) signed the performance contract there is going to be a progressive increase in [the examination] pass rate every year.”

“We are in the process of screening the schools and the pupils to establish those that are actually qualified to take the examination; because in the past children who do not even pass the BECE are allowed [to take the WASSCE] when they don’t have the foundation,” Adding that there are some schools that are not even approved and they have been enrolling pupils that do not pass the BECE to sit the WASSCE.”

He explained that some of these schools have been shelved not to conduct the exam and their candidates are allowed to sit the examination as well.

“So like are said earlier we are in the process of screening. As I am speaking I’m about to sign the screening documents, which will be counter, signed by the Minister and then forwarded to West African Examination Council.

However, we are putting modalities in place to ensure that we have all the documentation in place,” he averred.
The CEO stressed that “most definitely the examination is going to take place and it is going to start in August,” adding; “whatever is being presented in any media contrary to what I’ve said is totally false and baseless.”

He also noted that the ebola should be a challenge for the pupils to work very hard, pointing not that the standard of the exam will remain the same irrespective of our health crisis, “that should not stop us to encourage our teachers and pupils to work very hard so that established standard are maintained.”

He revealed, “two years ago the pass rate was 7.3 last year it was 19.6 so we want to make sure that we continue observing this progressive increase. Though the ebola has affected us tremendously, we are putting modalities in place to make sure that even if we do not get an increase the pass rate but ensure that the standard being set does not diminish.”

“No matter the situation we are expecting at least a small amount of increase in the pass rate,” he concluded resiliently.