The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has caused the arrest of four of its examiners who were careless with the scripts of candidates they were marking, leading to the circulation of some of the scripts and scores on social media.
The suspects, who are currently assisting the police with investigations, were traced to have allowed papers they were marking to be videoed, snapshot and circulated on social media where the marks of the candidates were displayed together with the index numbers and centre codes.
The examiners were picked up at Adukrom, Cape Coast, Kasoa and Accra, where they were marking the papers.
The examination body condemned the act and called on all examiners to be diligent and protect the personal data of the candidates being entrusted to them as the law frowned on making them public without authority.
Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Head of the Public Relations of WAEC, Mrs Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, explained that before the examiners were considered, it was made clear to them that “the attendance mark sheets, scripts and marking schemes are at every stage security materials and must be treated as such.”
She added that as part of the engagement, “the scripts, marking schemes and attendance mark sheets should be kept under lock and key anytime an examiner is not working on them.”
Mrs Teye-Cudjoe said such incidence should not happen at all and so even though few, “we do not take kindly to that and wish to caution the examiners not to divulge information of candidates as contained in the letter engaging them as examiners.”
She reminded them that whatever was in their possession was confidential and should not be left at the disposal of their family members, describing it as unacceptable and unfortunate.
Source:Fiilafmonline/Graphic
