Speaking at a regional stakeholders meeting in Cape Coast last Thursday, the Head of Humanities at WAEC, Daniel Nii Dodoo, described the trend as a threat to both educational integrity and national stability, calling for a unified front to combat it.
Mr Dodoo revealed that despite intensified measures, the problem had reached alarming levels.
Widespread examination malpractice undermines honest students, devalues our certificates, and may even lead to social unrest.
“This challenge goes beyond the classroom; it undermines our educational system, threatens national development and weakens our security framework.
We must treat it as the national crisis it has become,” he stressed.
He indicated that WAEC had recorded staggering levels of malpractice over the past five years.
In 2023 alone, he stated that over 587,000 subject results were withheld, and more than 59,000 results were cancelled outright.
Participants in the forum
The year before, he said, over 382,000 results were flagged for irregularities.
“These numbers are not just statistics; they represent a deep and dangerous erosion of academic integrity,” Mr Dodoo said.
Implications
He outlined a range of national security implications stemming from this crisis, including the production of underqualified graduates, infiltration of public institutions by unqualified personnel, a rise in youth disillusionment and the spread of extremist ideologies.
