Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Ghana's Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, has delivered twin cautionary messages to both candidates and invigilators participating in ongoing national examinations, demanding the upholding of honesty and integrity as the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Exam gets underway. With revelations that eight teachers and invigilators were convicted and sentenced for their roles in facilitating cheating during the 2025 BECE, the government signalled it is no longer willing to treat academic fraud as a minor infraction. The announcement, made during a monitoring tour of BECE centres in Sefwi Asawinso in the Western North Region on Monday, May 4, 2026, also exposed a troubling statistic: 178 candidates had their papers withheld or cancelled in last year's exams as a direct result of malpractice.
According to the Minister, the convicted individuals have been sanctioned in accordance with the law and will be taken off the payroll of the Ghana Education Service. "Last year, about eight teachers were involved in facilitating cheating, and they have been dealt with in accordance with the law. About eight of them have been convicted and sentenced, and they'll be taken off the payroll of the Ghana Education Service," Mr Iddrisu said. He expressed deep concern over what he described as a "growing trend of examination malpractice." He urged candidates to conduct themselves with honesty and integrity, stressing that such values are essential for responsible citizenship and national development. "To you, the candidates, honesty and integrity define citizenship. Honesty and integrity define patriotism, and they must be the hallmark of your character moulding to be able to serve Ghana better tomorrow. So don’t engage in any exam malpractice," he added.
The Minister did not spare invigilators, issuing a stark warning that they would face the full consequences of their actions if found complicit in any irregularity. "To our invigilators, we expect nothing short of the highest standard of integrity," he stated, emphasising the government's commitment to transparent and credible processes. The 2026 BECE officially commenced on Monday, May 4, 2026, and is scheduled to continue through Monday, May 11.
In a separate development, Mr Iddrisu acted swiftly during his monitoring tour after discovering a significant operational failure. At the Boako M/A Junior High School centre in Sefwi Wiawso, he found that candidates had been given answer sheets without receiving the corresponding question papers. The Minister, visibly concerned by the disruption, immediately directed the Ghana Education Service to implement urgent reforms. "Ordinarily, you should have been 15 minutes into the exams. Is that not right? Part of your training was that you should have been seated at 8.30, start the exams at 9.00. But I see answer sheets without question papers is now on its way," he observed. He insisted on an urgent review of how exam questions are transported to venues. He reassured impacted candidates, promising that the test would remain strictly within the approved curriculum. "Nothing will appear in the question which is not part of the syllabus you studied... So be confident that you are passing. Work hard to pass," he counselled.
The regional focus of the Minister's tour is particularly significant, as data from the Ghana Education Service has identified the Western North Region, especially the Sefwi Wiawso Municipality, as a hotspot for examination malpractices. Investigations into the 2025 BECE uncovered specific incidents, including an invigilator caught dictating answers to candidates and others found in possession of photocopied examination materials inside exam halls. Those found guilty were sanctioned, with irregularity forms submitted to WAEC.
Overall, the Ghana Education Service revealed that at least 46 cases involving teachers and invigilators are currently under investigation nationwide. These include 17 mobile phone‑related offences, 13 cases of prepared answers, and six instances of external assistance, with eight already prosecuted and found guilty. The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service, Ernest Kofi Davis, has also confirmed that officials implicated in previous examination malpractices have been banned from participating in this year's exercise.
The 2026 BECE is one of the largest in the nation’s history, featuring a total of 620,141 candidates nationwide from 20,395 schools. A gender breakdown shows 304,349 boys and 315,792 girls are sitting for the examination, each taking an average of 11 subjects. WAEC has confirmed that strict anti‑malpractice measures are now in place, warning that possession of prohibited materials such as mobile phones, assaults on supervisors, or engagement in any form of cheating will lead to immediate sanctions.
The Minister reinforced the gravity of the situation, noting that his ministry will not tolerate any form of academic dishonesty. “So we mean business, and we want this exercise to be conducted with the highest sense of integrity, as that defines your future and the kind of responsible citizens you will become tomorrow,” Mr Iddrisu concluded.
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