Patrick Apea-Danquah, Deputy Director of the Institute for Education Studies (IFEST), has sought for confirmation of former President John Dramani Mahama’s comments throwing doubt on the integrity of the 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results.
Former President Mahama rejects Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum’s claim that this year’s WASSCE scores are the best since 2015, expressing concerns over allegedly lenient invigilation and teacher support.
In an interview, Mr. Apeah-Danquah stated that John Mahama must back up his statements with proof.
“What the former president said might be quite unfortunate, but if he has any evidence to prove that, then we can have a discussion. You can’t just say that a lot of students passed and, as a result, it is not appropriate, or it doesn’t reflect the true performance. We know the free SHS has its issues, but if you make such an allegation, you should back it with evidence, so if he has got a piece of evidence, I think that should come up. But if he hasn’t, then we have to move on,” he said.
Mr. Mahama questioned the examination results on his country visit, pointing to malpractices and pupils conspiring with professors to cheat.
Angel Carbonu, President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), has also challenged Mr. Mahama to provide evidence.