Government will have to break the monopoly of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to conduct examinations, Dr Prince Armah, an educationist, has said.

It follows the examination body’s failure to provide effective contingency plans for over 200 candidates at Bunkpurugu in the Northern Region who could not write two papers on Monday 5 June due to issues with their examination centre.

Speaking to Class News, the Public Relations Officer of WAEC, Agnes Teye Cudjoe, said the candidates would have to sit for next year’s examination for private candidates, thereby losing the opportunity for Free Senior High School this year.

But Dr Armah, speaking to Class News, said WAEC was not being creative enough in tackling challenges that arise during the examination period.

He said the country needs an alternative examination body.

“There will not be too much difficulty for WAEC to go to the assessment bank and get items that match the validity of reliability of the ones that they have used. It is just that we want to remain in the status quo, we don’t want to move on. These are very exceptional situations, so if for example, something happens in the whole of the Greater Accra Region, what it means is that we cannot find alternative ways of writing, organising or conducting exams for the people in the Greater Accra Region and they will have to wait till February? It makes no sense and that is why I think they should reconsider their decision,” he stated.

“We must continue to explore the opportunity of having other examination bodies and breaking the monopoly that WAEC continues to enjoy. I mean it’s not difficult for us to do it.”