WAEC rejects NUGS request for student representation on exam committees

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has dismissed calls from the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) for student representation in national examination decision-making bodies.

NUGS had petitioned the Council to include student voices on key committees such as the Ghana Examinations Committee and the WAEC Investigative Committee, which oversee matters like exam cancellations and malpractice investigations.

However, in response to the proposal, the Head of WAEC’s National Office, Dr. Rosemond Wilson, said the Council already has appropriate stakeholder engagement structures and sees no need to include student representatives.

“NUGS are students, and with our exams, invigilators and supervisors are supposed to be workers of the GES. NUGS are not staff of the GES, so they  cannot invigilate or supervise our exams,” she said.

She further explained that malpractice investigations are handled directly with the candidates involved, particularly minors, who are accompanied by their parents and teachers.

This process, she said, leaves no formal role for student unions like NUGS.

“When it comes to investigations, we deal directly with the candidate, and the minor candidates come along with their parents and teachers to do the investigations.

So, we do not actually need NUGS. We don’t know the role they want to play concerning the investigations,” she added.