Author: George Kwaku Yeboah
In Ghana, the roots of our national corruption crisis are often traced to politics, leadership failures, or economic hardship. But one of the most insidious sources lies quietly in our classrooms—exam malpractice.
From the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to final university assessments, cheating in exams has become alarmingly normalized, and this normalization is breeding a generation that believes success can be manipulated, not earned.
It begins with the BECE, a decisive moment for students seeking admission into senior high schools. Many candidates—often with the complicity of some teachers, invigilators, and even parents—are provided with “apor” (leaked questions), or are allowed to copy answers during exams.
Some schools even charge extra fees under the guise of “exam preparation,” which is nothing but an organised cheating scheme. These students are taught not to rely on their abilities, but rather on the system’s loopholes and corrupt adults.
The problem festers further in senior high schools and peaks at the university level. Students enter tertiary institutions with no ethical foundation, and cheating becomes a survival tactic.
It takes the form of smuggled notes, impersonation, collusion, and even outright bribery of lecturers. Academic institutions, the very places meant to uphold merit and integrity, end up rewarding deceit and mediocrity.
This culture of dishonesty is not just about passing exams—it’s a training ground for future leaders, doctors, teachers, engineers, and public servants. If we produce graduates who are comfortable with cheating, what stops them from forging documents, taking bribes, or mismanaging public funds when they enter the workforce?
Teachers who encourage or turn a blind eye to this are betraying their noble calling. They are no longer educators but enablers of national decay. Their actions deserve not just condemnation, but systemic consequences.
To fight corruption in Ghana, we must start from the roots. Strengthen exam monitoring, punish culprits—both students and facilitators—and restore integrity to the classroom.
Let us raise children who know that true success is earned through hard work, not handed down through leaked questions or dishonest schemes.
The fight against corruption begins with a simple message in every classroom: Cheating is not a shortcut—it is a sickness.
