By Dennis Peprah
Sunyani, (Bono), Oct. 13, GNA- The Conference of the Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) has expressed concern about the growing menace of examination malpractices, threatening the integrity of the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC).
They said they were worried about the increasing sophistication of malpractices, aided by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and some individuals in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
The conference called for extensive serialization of WASSCE and BECE questions and a review of assessment methods under the new education curriculum, calling for strict punitive measures against offenders too.
A communique issued on the sidelines of the 63rd Annual Conference of the CHASS held between October 6, and October 12, 2025, in Sunyani, also expressed concern about the increasing incidence of student indiscipline.
It described recent recurrences of hooliganism, riots and possession of offensive weapons, and abuse of dangerous substances like opioids (RED) and Indian hemp by some students as alarming.
The conference was on the theme: “Ensuring comprehensive, equitable and sustainable secondary education in Ghana-the role of stakeholders”.
A copy of the communique, jointly signed by the Reverend Father Stephen Owusu Sekyere and Mr Baro Primus, the National President and National Secretary of the CHASS respectively, was made available to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani.
It expressed concern about acute shortage of furniture in classrooms, dining, and assembly halls, as well as offices in SHS, saying that continued to impact negatively on the smooth operations of schools, and hinder effective teaching and learning.
“Many schools are compelled to operate transitional calendars due to this deficiency, and we call for immediate government intervention to resolve the issue,” the communique stated.
It also called on the government to expedite action for resumption of work on some abandoned projects, urging the government to do more and provide duty-post vehicles and buses to deprived schools.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei