WAEC Examinations Under Scrutiny

By Stephen Kwabena Effah
Tuesday, 18 July 2006 (Page 3)

The Consultative Council for Teachers Associations (CCTA), a grouping of subject teacher associations, has asked the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to take cognisance of the national goals and objectives of member countries in setting questions for schools.

Citing the report of Presidential Review Committee on Education set up in 2002, CCTA President, Samuel M. Quartey, said the education system continues to suffer from state examinations such as the Basic Education Certificate Examination and Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination which are used as indicators of quality.

Professor Quartey, who was speaking at a forum organised by the CCTA, said “there is so much competition that teachers tend to over emphasise solving problems for examinations rather than encouraging meaningful learning.”

Dubbed ‘Time with WAEC’, the forum was aimed at analysing the conduct and test administration by WAEC in the public school system to acquire relevant knowledge necessary to enhance teaching, curriculum and examination syllabuses.

He said subjects at any level of education are selected because of their possible contribution to the attainment of national goals and objectives, adding, “subjects are not being taught because of the knowledge they give but because such knowledge will help us achieve national goals and objectives,” Prof. Quartey stated.

“It is therefore not helpful to the nation when questions for assessment are not related to the national goals and objectives.”

He said examination set the tone for teaching and learning noting that no matter how well the universities train the teachers, they will be compelled to tailor their teaching to the demands of the final examination by WAEC.

Prof.Quartey said that although positive modifications have been made in certain subject areas, when it comes to subjects like social studies, science and technology, “one doubts whether efforts in these directions are prompting teachers to teach in the right direction.”

He said statistics from the 2002 educational report showed that only 8.7 per cent of pupils in public schools reached a mastery level of 60 per cent in English and 55 per cent in Mathematics, noting, “this is an indictment on the quality of education in Ghana.”

He said government’s directive for 60 per cent/40 per cent science admission into universities and secondary schools, respectively has become necessary because of the importance the nation attaches to science and technology.

He observed, however, that BECE questions in technical skills hardly ever expose students to skills and “one wonders how the technical skills student is made to identify parts of tools rather than the appropriate use of the tools.”

It is not therefore surprising that even students who perform very well in technical and vocational skills at the junior secondary level refuse to go to technical and vocational institution, he said.