NAGRAT calls for end to political influence on WAEC results

Jacobi Anaba, the President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers, has urged the end of political influence in the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) examination processes. He maintains that students' results must reflect their genuine academic capabilities and be free from political, school, or community interference.

During an interview on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Mr Anaba emphasized that political pressure on exam officials could damage the credibility of WAEC results. He also attributed the reported decrease in examination malpractice cases to enhanced monitoring and stricter penalties for offenders. Mr Anaba noted that teachers have become more vigilant due to previous arrests of educators involved in malpractice.

While he agreed that news of exam malpractice is less prevalent now, he expressed concern over the high number of subject cancellations in the January WAEC exams. He requested an explanation for the cancellations and investigated whether they were due to collusion or other forms of malpractice. Mr Anaba also highlighted the importance of allowing students to sit for exams without external pressure, asserting that they should be assessed based on their own abilities.

He emphasized that the teachers' association has previously criticized political influence on examination results and stressed the need for a collective effort to address the issue. The association believes that students must be prepared to lead the nation in the future and should be educated in a system that rewards genuine talent, not political decisions.

Mr Anaba also alleged that in some communities, there have been instances where individuals obtain exam questions, have them solved, and distribute the answers to students. He called on all stakeholders to enable examination authorities to operate independently, ensuring that WAEC results genuinely represent students' performance.