Winners for May/June 2014 WASSCE was announced and no Nigerian student
was among the best three as Ghana clinched first, second and third in
the international prestigious awards.
When the winners were announced recently in Ikeja, Lagos, in the
presence of WAEC representatives in West Africa, it was disclosed that
Master Hasan Mickail, Master Kenyah Blaykyi and Master Archibald Henry
all from Ghana got the first, second and third positions at the
International Excellence Award prizes respectively.
Hasan Mickail 18, who attended Ghana Secondary Technical School,
Takoradi during May/June, 2014 WASSCE made eight A1 in Mathematics
(core), Mathematics (elective), Biology, Chemistry, Physics,
Integrated Science, Social Studies and English Language with a total
score of 682.0933. Following Hasan closely was Kenyah Blaykyi 19, who
attended St. Augustine's College, Cape Coast scored eight A1 in eight
subjects including English Language and Mathematics with total score
of 680.4287.
Third prize which went to Archibald Henry 18, from Mfantsipim School,
Cape Coast, had A1 in eight subjects including English Language and
Mathematics. His total score was 676.9348. It is note worthy that the
three International Excellence Award winners as announced this year
are all males from Ghana. Incidentally, in 2013 Ghanian students also
won the three prestigious International Excellence Awards, where two
females, Miss Ivy Ama Mannoh and Miss Rhoda Adu-Boafo emerged first
and second respectively. Followed by Master Mwinmaarong Lucio Dery all
from Ghana who emerged third.
Also, Ghanian students have registered themselves as best candidates
in West Africa, by repeating the same feat in 2012, when they clinched
the first, second and third positions. Record shows that in 2012
WASSCE, Miss Yvette Yeboah-Kordieh, Master Josbert Ayambire and Master
Bright Seyram Tsevi all of Ghana emerged first, second and third
respectively.
It will interest you to note that in 2011 WASSCE, Ghanaian students
also emerged first and second beating Miss Adeloye Ope from Nigeria
who emerged third. In 2010, no winner emerged. However, in 2008 and
2009, Ghanian students took the first, second and third positions in
the West African examination. It will be right to assert that for
Ghanian students to have won this prestigious international award for
five consecutive years, its secondary school education system must be
superb and worthy of emulation.
The last time Nigerian students won was in 2007, when its students
came first consistently from 2002 to 2007. What has happened to
Nigeria's secondary school educational system from 2008 to 2013 that
no Nigerian students has emerged first or second in WASSCE? Speaking
at the WAEC 63rd Annual Council Meeting held in Lagos last week, its
registrar, Dr. Iyi Uwadiae said: "The three candidates were selected
from a total of 2,018,497 candidates who sat for the examination in
the Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.''
He noted that in addition to the first prize, the Augustus Bandele
Oyediran Award for the Best candidate in West Africa will be presented
to Master Mickail Hasan, the overall best student. In the breakdown,
he said: ''A total of 2,450,626 candidates sat the West African Senior
School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in all the member countries in
2014. Out of this total figure, 2,018,497 candidates sat the May/June
WASSCE conducted for school candidates while 432,129 candidates sat
the November/December WASSCE as private candidates."
According to him, the 2014 candidature showed a decrease of 140,161
candidates which was about 5.41 per cent below the 2013 figure of
2,590,787 and a decrease of 97,604 candidates which was 3.85 per cent
below the 2012 figure of 2,548,230. The Registrar who lauded WAEC for
efficient conduct of the examination, noted that leakages of question
papers did not occur in any office of WAEC in 2014. He, however
lamented that other forms of malpractice featured in the conduct of
the Council's examinations in all the member countries.
Member countries
''The fight against examination malpractice is rigorous and the
weapons are expensive,'' he said. According to him, the National
offices have intensified their efforts at eradicating the malaise
through various strategies, such as extensive group briefings or
meetings. Other media including stakeholders' dialogue, prime space
media advertorials and the use of metal detectors among others.
--PUNCH
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