Opoku Mensah, a member of the National Democratic Congress(NDC) Communications team in the Ashanti Region, has warned that the pass rate in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) could drop significantly if examination malpractice is strictly eliminated.

Speaking on Angel FM, Kumasi, he argued that systemic challenges within the education sector have contributed to widespread irregularities during exams.

“If we eliminate malpractice, the BECE pass rate could fall below 30%, especially in core subjects like English and Mathematics,” he said.

Mensah described the problem as multifaceted, involving various stakeholders across the education system.

“The issues come from different angles, parents, teachers, headmasters, and even municipal and district directors of education,” he stated.

He revealed that recent incidents highlight the extent of the problem, citing arrests of teachers in the Ashanti Region.

“As I speak, three teachers in the Ashanti Region have been arrested for possessing mobile phones and allegedly using them to assist students during examinations,” he disclosed.

According to him, stricter supervision could expose the true performance levels of students.

“If we introduce external invigilators into examination halls, particularly for subjects like Mathematics and Science, we may not even achieve a 30% pass rate in these subjects, all things being equal,” he argued.

He further alleged that some education officials enable malpractice for financial gain.

“While some directors oppose cheating, others collaborate with headmasters and take money to allow students to cheat,” he claimed.