GES bans over 40 invigilators ahead of BECE, announces crackdown on exam malpractice

More than 40 invigilators have been barred from supervising this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) as part of a decisive move by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to clamp down on examination malpractice.

The sanctions follow findings that the affected officials engaged in various forms of misconduct during last year’s examinations—raising widespread concerns about the credibility and fairness of the system.

Addressing a news conference in Accra on April 30, Director-General of the GES, Professor Ernest Davis, said the offences ranged from aiding candidates with answers to facilitating cheating through mobile devices.

“On the issue of punishment for teachers who were aiding and cheating, asking them not to do anything with examinations is the least of the punishment. We are processing them, and once everything is in, we will be taking them to the appropriate councils and boards to be sanctioned,” he stated.

According to the GES, 17 of the sanctioned invigilators were implicated in mobile phone-related offences, including allegedly sharing devices with candidates during exams. Thirteen others were caught distributing prepared answers, while six were found actively solving questions for students inside examination halls.

Further investigations revealed four cases involving unauthorized materials, three instances of coordinated malpractice schemes, and one case in which a parent allegedly attempted to bribe an invigilator.

Professor Davis indicated that beyond the ban, steps are underway to prosecute those found culpable.

Over 620,000 Candidates to Sit BECE

The crackdown comes as the country prepares for this year’s BECE, with 620,141 candidates expected to sit for the examination. Of this number, 304,349 are boys and 315,792 are girls, drawn from 20,395 schools nationwide.

The figure represents a 2.7 percent increase compared to last year’s total of 603,328 candidates.

Changes to School Selection Process

Professor Davis also announced adjustments to the school selection process, indicating that candidates will choose their preferred senior high schools after the release of results.

“Selection will finally be submitted to GES and for that matter CSSPS for processing after the results have been released. However, the process will start immediately after the examinations,” he explained.

“We think it is doable because we are finishing the BECE on May 11. Our calculations suggest that we have 19 to 20 weeks to get the students to school because SHS will open on September 18, 2026,” he added.

He further noted a key change in the selection system, allowing candidates to choose up to two Category A schools—an option not previously available.

“What has changed this year is that in the previous arrangement, they were given the opportunity to choose Category B and Category C schools as day schools that are not Category A. But now we are giving them the opportunity to choose two Category A schools, in addition to the rest, bringing the total to eight schools instead of seven,” he said.

Support for Candidates in Conflict Areas

Touching on candidates in conflict-prone areas, Professor Davis assured that measures are in place to ensure equal access to the examinations.

“We have an arrangement with national security to relocate those students to different communities for them to write the exams,” he disclosed.

The GES says the measures form part of broader efforts to protect the integrity of the BECE and ensure a level playing field for all candidates across the country.