WAEC To Deploy Biometrics To Curb Exam Malpractices

The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has said it will be using biometrics as well as Item Differential Profile (IDP) to tackle problem of examination malpractices in the forth coming 2021 WASSCE exams scheduled to commence next month.

The head of WAEC Public Affairs Unit, Mr. Demianus Ojijeogu, said the examination body has put some measures in place to combat exam malpractices in the upcoming exams that would be conducted in over 20,000 schools across the country.

Ojijeogu pointed out that if WAEC is to conduct an examination devoid of malpractices there must be collaborative efforts of all stakeholders.

According to him, the biometrics collected at the point of registration for the exam will be used to confirm the identity of students before entering the examination halls to ensure that mercenaries do not invade the examination halls to help students write their examination.

“WAEC doesn’t have the staff to cover all schools nationwide, so it relies on supervisors who are not WAEC staff but teachers nominated by the ministry of education in the states and sent to WAEC to be used as a supervisor. We rely on them to confirm the identity of registered students, make sure students going into the examination don’t carry materials or phones and also to refuse any form of assistance from the teachers to the students.

“Some schools have already perfected plans and means on how to help the students cheat during the exams, students in turn also have different ways of bringing illegal materials into the exam halls and some supervisors will connive with teachers and schools since they have the keys to access the examination questions they could then decide to meet at a rendezvous point and these are all aiding malpractice in the exams.