A child rights activist group has sued the West African Examination Council and two others for denying 201 students the opportunity to write some papers of the 2017 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
The 201 students from Kambatiag, Gbingbamoni and Guanbiang junior high schools in the Northern Region could not write their English Language and Religious and Moral Education papers due to what is said to be inconsistent information on the exam centres.
According to the plaintiff, Child Rights International, the students cannot be held liable and bear the brunt of such inconsistencies.
It consequently sued WAEC, the Ghana Education Service and the Attorney General as a nominal party.
“As a result of these inconsistencies, emanating from the GES or the 3rd respondent [WAEC] on the matter, there was confusion as to where to write the examination.
In consequence, they could not turn up for the English Language and the Religious and Moral Education papers scheduled nationwide for that day [June 5, 2017]”, portions of the court processes read.
The plaintiff argues among other things that the attitude of WAEC and GES in the matter “constitutes a gross infringement of the fundamental human rights of the affected students as enshrined in Articles 25 and 38 of the 1992 constitution” of Ghana”.
The group is thus praying the court to declare that the refusal or neglect of WAEC and GES to immediately reschedule the English Language and Religious and Moral Education BECE papers for the affected students is a violation of the affected students’ right to education guaranteed under Articles 25(1) and 38 of the 1992 constitution.
It also wants the court to compel the respondents to jointly and severally reschedule the outstanding papers for the affected students immediately and to release the results together with the results of the other BECE candidates to enable them enroll in second cycle institutions in September this year.
The action comes barely a month after Child Rights International wrote a letter to GES and WAEC requesting them to immediately reschedule the said exam for the affected students or face a legal action.
CRI says letter did not receive any “favorable response” from them hence the suit which it said is under the authority of chairpersons of the Teachers and Parents Associations (PTA) of the affected schools to take legal action.
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