Monrovia: the yearly West African examinations Council exams administered to student of the West African region has been marred by fraud in the West African State of Liberia
As pupils of senior secondary schools in Liberia were excited about completing the West African Examinations Council Exams on May 11, 2012, African Standard uncovered a cheating syndicate in which exams answers were distributed to students sitting the regional test.
On Wednesday, May 9 a text message from a Lone Star Cell MTN 0880676811bearing answers to this year's WAEC Economic Exams was mistakenly sent to our Monrovia Bureau Chief which apparently was intended for a student.
The receipt of the text message prompted an African Standard investigation which has since established the owner of the Telephone Number as Emmanuel and a WAEC Exams Supervisor.
Before the commencement of the exams, WACE advised students' sitting the exams not to use any foreign materials including calculators and cell phones in the examination hall.
When contacted the Assistant Head, Test Administration Division WAEC Liberia Erasmus Gaye confirmed that one of the issues faced during the exams was the usage of cell phones by students.
Mr. Gaye said that WAEC have identified that some cell phones were taken to various examination centers by senior secondary school candidates sitting the exams.
He said WAEC is investigating potential examination mal-practices and students’ who found liable of cheating will be dealt with in accordance with the laws of Liberia.
Liberian students have a long history of cheating in the WAEC exams. In 2010, the Ministry of Education suspended the graduation exercises of numerous schools that were subjected to investigation for cheating during the exams.
Integrity is low in the West African state as corruption and graft is high in both public and private sectors.
