Editorial
A second look at examination malpractices
Dear Editor
A revelation from a recent study that cheating or examination malpractices is on the rise is quite worrying.
The study which covered the periods from 2021 and 2023 showed a massive a two per cent increase from 2021 to 10 per cent in 2023.
What is even more alarming is the number of students involved in the act.
According to the report, the over 10,000 students that engaged in the act rose to close to 45,000 in 2023 and identified collusion, bringing of foreign materials and mobile phones into examination halls and impersonation as some of the common forms of malpractice.
This is a menace the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) has made a lot of noise about not just in the media but through several interactive platforms.
Years in and out, several papers from venues where those suspicions arose have had their papers cancelled and a few arrested and prosecuted. All of this is to serve as a deterrent to others.
But if the problem persists after all of these, then it means there may be something wrong somewhere that the authorities have not averred their minds to.
Much as the authorities identify ways to curb the aforementioned mode of operation, the Ghana Education Service (GES) should also intensify its supervision on the preparations of the school children for the exams.
Considering the numbers involved in the act against the overall numbers registered, they still form a minority of children who may be ill prepared for the exams.
The GES officials from its monitory department should pay unexpected visits to the schools and observe at first hand the kind of preparation the children are given.
After that, we’ll be in a better position to know what actually the problem with the children is.
Samuel Ofoli Kwei,
Asylum Down-Accra
Editorial
Merits and demerits of scraping betting tax
Dear Editor,
Over the past years, a lot of concerns have been raised about the rise of sports betting companies in the country, their operations, and how it impacted negatively on the youth of the country.
I have also witnessed how some of the youth go to the extent of borrowing money from friends or use companies’ money to stake bets, which they were not guaranteed of winning.
Due to this, I was happy when the previous government introduced the betting tax, as I felt it would deter the youth from engaging in it.
However, some Ghanaians hold the view that the betting tax would help create employment.
It wasn’t surprising to see the excitement that greeted the announcement of the scrapping of the tax by the Finance Minister.
My worry now is how, as a country, the youth can be discouraged from engaging in betting.
I believe that as the betting tax has been scrapped, it is about time that the government finds ways of addressing the issue of betting among the youth as it is becoming more serious than before.
I believe that there should be a multi-stakeholder engagement between the various stakeholders to proffer solutions to address them.
Editorial
Rail crossing point at circle- Kaneshie road needs attention
Dear Editor,
I read with happiness a letter published in the previous edition about the poor state of the rail crossing stretch of the Circle-Kaneshie road.
I totally agree with the concerns raised by the writer and I wish to add my voice to the call on the authorities to quickly work on that stretch of the road.
What the writer left out was the occasional happenings when vehicles break down on the rail line. I have witnessed that before.
It is not a comfortable thing driving on it at all. It is a huge dent on the beauty the interchange was expected to bring to the area.
The traffic it creates is a major inconvenience to people who are rushing to work.
I wish to appeal to the authorities to quickly do something about that portion of the road to make it convenient for drivers. Thank you for the space.
Maxwell Amamoo,
Odorkor
