The Deputy Director of the Institute for Education Studies (IFEST), Patrick Apea-Danquah, is demanding proof of the comment made by the former President, John Dramani Mahama, challenging the authenticity of the 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results.
Despite the Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum’s assertion that this year’s WASSCE results are the best since 2015, Mahama contests this, alleging lax invigilation and teacher assistance.
Speaking to Citi News, Mr. Apeah-Danquah asserted the need for John Mahama to back his claims with evidence.
“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.
During his country tour, Mr. Mahama discredited the examination results, pointing to malpractices and students conniving with teachers to cheat.
The President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Carbonu, has also challenged Mr. Mahama to provide evidence.
“The information the former President has will help all of us to resolve the matter,” he said on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme.