The 68th Meeting of the International Final Awards and Examiners’ Appointments Committee (IFAEAC) of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) was held on Thursday and Friday, April 22 and 23, 2010 in Accra, Ghana.

The Committee is responsible for Grade Awards and the appointments of Moderators and Chief Examiners for the Council’s examinations conducted in West Africa.  The Statutory Chairman of the Committee is the Chairman of Council, Professor Jonas A. S. Redwood-Sawyerr.  Membership of the Committee is made up of the chief nominees of the various member governments, as well as representatives of Ministries of Education, tertiary institutions, principals of secondary schools, and other interests from all the member countries of the organization.

IFAEAC, which meets twice each year, receives reports from the five National Offices and considers for approval decisions taken by the Examinations Committees of the member countries.

At the 68th Meeting, IFAEAC observed with satisfaction the steady increase in the enrolment figures for the Council’s examinations in each country and commended the member governments for their people-oriented policies and programmes that have resulted in expanded access to education in the sub-region.  It however, noted with worry the persistence of examination malpractice in public examinations, particularly the sophistication and criminal dimensions being introduced by the perpetrators, and urged the Council to ensure that the current efforts at combating the canker to a standstill were intensified by all National Offices. It observed with concern that the evil of examination malpractice had started to affect the standard of tertiary education and quality of available human resources in the sub-region, and called on governments and stakeholders in education to address the issue with the seriousness it deserves.

The Committee noted with appreciation that the Council had continued to provide copious statistics, which were being used by stakeholders for various useful purposes, including policy decision-making and implementation by member governments.  From the available statistics, it noted that candidates’ performance had remained generally poor in the member countries, and called on stakeholders in education to take urgent steps to change the negative trend. It also observed that certain subjects were no longer viable, in view of their steadily diminishing candidature over the years, and suggested to governments to take a closer look at the teaching curricular with a view to eliminating such subjects and conserving the huge resources currently being expended on their teaching and examination.

The Committee commended the Council for consistently producing the Chief Examiners’ Reports on all subjects, and urged governments, Ministries of Education, school proprietors, teachers and education administrators in the sub-region to utilize the feedback and recommendations provided in the reports to achieve significant improvement in candidates’ performance in the years ahead.

The Committee congratulated the Republic of Liberia on the successful hosting of the 58th Annual Council Meeting in March this year. It noted with delight the Council’s willingness and readiness to conduct the International WASSCE in Liberia, come 2011, and reiterated Council’s earlier call on the Government of Liberia to intensify effort to keep faith with the 2011 date to meet the aspiration and long-delayed expectation of the Liberian candidates.

Biodun Aduloju
Principal Public Affairs Officer

PUBLISHED BY:
PUBLIC AFFAIRS UNIT
WAEC HEADQUARTERS
ACCRA, GHANA

APRIL 26, 2010