We're considering mobile phone jammers at exams centres - WAEC

The non-profit-mak i ng organization says it is considering to use mobile phone jammers at various examination centres nationwide to reduce cases of exams malpractices and mobile phone usage in the examination hall.

The Council’s decision follows reports that some candidates who sat for the just-ended 2020 WASSCE managed to sneak into the examination hall with smartphones, an act WAEC has described the worst form of exams fraud.

Meanwhile, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) before the conduct of the examination cautioned candidates to desist from any form of examination malpractices and usage of mobile phones in the exams hall.

The Head of National Office, WAEC, Mrs Wendy E. Andy-Lamptey speaking at a press conference monitored by Georgeweb.org on Tuesday, September 8 hinted WAEC in the next conduct of WASSCE for School Candidates will consider the use of mobile phone jammers to disconnect internet access for available phones.

Mrs Wendy Andy-Lamptey comments follow a journalists suggestion for the Council to shut down the internet in the country during the conduct of national examination like WASSCE to reduce cases of exams malpractices.

“With regards to our country and our examinations, our examination spans six weeks and indeed there is no way you can shut down the internet for 6 weeks, most of the countries that shut down their internet usually conduct their examination one or two days”, she explained.

“But we are looking at using mobile phone jammers at our examination centres so even if you have a mobile phone or any internet-connected device at the entre you will not be able to connect to the internet”.

According to The Head of National Office, WAEC, the non-profit-making organization is currently considering the use of mobile phone jammers and other similar devices and not a temporal shut down of internet.

Source: Georgeweb.org