By: Amadu Wurie Jalloh-(AWJ-"SAWN👍)
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It's rhetorical to assume that the only panacea to massive failure in external examinations in Sierra Leone is to upgrade the education standard of the country.
This paradox has been resounded in the just released WASSCE results which, by all indications out there, is the worst result since after the War in Sierra Leone. Many people have taken to social media blaming students' unpreparedness, immaturity, and incapability for the mass failures.
Proponents of this believe that the reenforcement of regulatory and supervisory measures by the government, and of course making punishable the act of selling grades, are a possible explanation of the plague, which is not far from the truth. But we however cannot factor out 'lack of accountability and transparency' in the conduct of exams and reward of grades to students.
We have seen (or heard about) instances where authentic examination questions are leaked to students prior to the examinations and no one from the WAEC is caught culpable; whereas students' results are seized on the pretext that they are suspected of sharing ideas or answers.
WAEC, as a body entrusted with conducting public examinations in the sub region should upgrade their system to meet international standards and criteria inculcating more accountability and transparency features or system.
One area that needs upgrade is the area of students results. If students can access their examination grades using their index numbers, they should also access their graded examination-papers using the same index number via online, if the system is programmed to ensure transparency and accountability.
We should not always assume that the students must have failed and WAEC is credible and uncompromising when it comes to awarding grades. WAEC is also a business entity that makes profit for operational cost and sustainability from having pupils to take exams. The more pupils they have, the more profit they would be making. Hence, we should not also factor out possible capitalism tendencies.
When a student fails an examination, s/he does not only go through traumatic experience. S/he would feel incapable (pseudoefficacy); s/he would feel useless; s/he would have to spend time waiting and preparing again in doubt of where they got it wrong; his/her parents would probably give up on their education and support; and worst case scenario is: they would probably dropout of school and become wayward or forced to grow up fast in the street where they would end up fending for themselves and, or their families.
Therefore, we should not take lightly the issue. It also has its economic implications on the nation as more years and money (from our GDP) would be spent preparing the labour force of the country.
Hence, WAEC should be more transparent and accountable to citizens of the subregion by making accessible marked examination papers of each student using the same index number.
The facility will not only enhance transparency and accountability, but it also will help boost public confidence of the system, and help institutions and the students factor out (discover) the common mistakes they commit in examinations. This will help them in their studies in up coming exams.
Meanwhile, the system as it is now, is not different from a game of chance.
®SAWN👍
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