The Inquirer (Monrovia)
Melissa Chea-Annan
22 April 2008
Monrovia — With barely a month to the administration of the West African Examinations throughout the country, the head of the National Office, Thomas Gaie has cautioned school principals and administrators to desist from malpractices during the exams.
Addressing administrators and principals of schools in Monrovia recently, Mr. Gaie warned that any school caught camping or attempting to buy the exams for the students would be dealt with seriously.
Candidates from several high schools throughout the country are expected to commence a week-long examination that would be administered by WAEC form May 5, 2008, while other candidates from the 9th and 6th grades division would also sit the exams a week after the senior high division.
According to Mr. Gaie, whenever school principals and administrators put into place a well designed scheme to 'cheat' by collecting 'flexibility fees' in order to bribe test supervisors and invigilators to allow their candidates to cheat, and worse of all having their students camp before and during the examinations, then something is certainly wrong.
He pointed out that if the school authorities continue this act, then they are telling the entire world that in order to be successful in Liberia, students must graduate from high school by cheating; enter the university by cheating; leave the university by cheating and enter the world of work by cheating.
"What kind of message are we sending to our future leaders and what kind of future leaders are we preparing? I call this the 'ripple effect' and a very dangerous development for the future of our country," Mr. Gaie disgustingly asked.
The new WAEC boss also disclosed that he has gathered information on many young persons who are taking fake WAEC certificates for entry to higher academic institutions and for work, "some are lucky and those who are not so lucky are the ones whose certificates are referred to WAEC for verification",
Mr. Gaie also explained that recently, he received fake WAEC certificates from the United States of America for verification. "This is what I refer to as ripple effect and a dangerous development for the future of Liberia. We are already reaping what we sowed. We must not pass with regrets that we did not provide quality education for our children, "' he stated.
Mr. Gaie, at the same time called on school authorities to instill the virtue of honesty and the dignity of labor in the youth, and that they should work together in order to bring back pride in the educational pursuit of the children by creating an 'academic excellence' environment where students would be rewarded for excellence with self-confidence by believing in themselves so as to become self-reliant, and to develop self-esteem for the achievement of self-actualization.
The WAEC boss recalled that the institution, in the past had been a "no go" area for the Government of Liberia by demonstrating a lack of support, "but this Ellen-led government has given renewed hope to the Council," he added.
Mr. Gaie also called on school principals and administrators to train the students in a proper manner by inculcating into them the virtue of dignity of labor, and the virtue of honesty so that in the future, they too would be representatives of those that imparted knowledge to them. "The reputation and integrity of WAEC is in your hands. Guard it," he concluded.
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