Al-Varney Rogers/ FPA STAFF WRITER/ 0886304498
Monrovia-When the West African Examination Council (WAEC) exams were canceled due to an unexpected theft at the Konola SDA Mission in Margibi County, it went on bended knees before the government begging for US$300,000 to reprint new exams.
A highly placed source at the Ministry of Education told FPA Wednesday that the Ministry gave the examination body a lump sum of $247,000 for a reprint of the exams which was postponed to June 27.
But the appearance of May 2016 on the reprinted exam booklets has left many wondering whether the council did print the new exams. A source within the Ministry has hinted this paper that a reprint was never done by WAEC.
Some students taking the exams who refused to be named said they were shocked when they saw May 2016 on their paper.
They argued that if it is the same test that is being administered, there was no reason for the postponement.
A teacher, Samuel Smith, said the appearance of May 2016 on the paper does not mean it is the same test, adding that the date could be there because test is normally given in May.
He said by having May 2016 printed on the booklet is not a valid point to argue that WAEC is using the May cancelled test.
“For me, I think WAEC is not using the cancelled exam; all they are doing is that they are using the regular month for WAEC on the booklet,” he added.
For Sylvester Queplay, delay in giving WAEC exams is not strange to Liberia, adding that students have taken test in August and May wasn’t reflected on the booklet.
“Look my brother this Liberia—anything is possible. I’m sure these people just delayed the test and administered the very test they said has leaked,” he said.
“Why is May doing on a test that is being administered in June?” He averred that the leakage of the exam speaks to WAEC lax attitude in handling the exam, noting that administering a ‘cancelled’ exam should not be a surprise.
Authority of WAEC, when contacted, refused to comment, saying that they are too busy administering the exam.
It can be recalled that the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the head office of WAEC Liberia last month announced the postponement of the exam due to leakage of the exams.
The Liberia senior high school certificate examination (LSHSCE) for school candidates was scheduled to be administered from Monday, May 23, 2016 to Friday, May 27, 2016 at 210 centers and 96 depots around the country, a communication from the Ministry of Information noted.
Appearing before the Senate, Education Minister George Werner in a communication furthered that 22 supervisors, along with 1,564 proctors were hired to assist with the monitoring of the examinations to 46,917 candidates. The communication narrated that unfortunately on that morning of the first day of the exam, the ministry was informed by the WAEC office in Monrovia that one copy each of the nine subjects of the examination papers were stolen from the Konola depot.
The Liberian Senate mandated its committee on Education to evaluate Education Minister Werner’s request for US$300,000 to reprint the leaked West African Examinations Council test for 12th graders.