Officials of Bright Senior High School at Kukurantumi in the Eastern Region have apologized for an alleged attack on WAEC officials by students of the school.
The school has however dismissed claims that its principal, Bright Nyarko Amponsah, instigated the attacks.
On the 6th of August, a number of WAEC officials supervising the ongoing West African Senior School Examination (WASSCE) are said to have been injured in a clash with some students of the school.
The principal of the school was accused of asking his students to assault the external invigilators.
Speaking to Joy News, Head of Communications at Bright Senior High School, Dr. Isaac Asare, said both the director and the teachers were not at the examination centre during the chaos.
Some of the school’s teachers had earlier been recruited as invigilators but were changed on the day the students were to write the Social Studies paper. Dr Asare said the teachers went home immediately they were replaced.
“For the avoidance of doubt, none of the teacher of Bright Senior High School was allowed to partake in the invigilation of the Social Studies examination on 6th August 2020,” the statement said.
A statement the school issued earlier said the private security men posted to the examination centre “prevented the principal from entering” even when he requested to allowed to maintain order.
The confusion is said to have broken out when a student reportedly retaliated a slap by an invigilator who claimed the boy was cheating. Another student claimed her answer sheet was torn apart over a similar offense.
The school said in view of the decision of the WAEC officials to prevent the teachers and the principal access to the examination centre “the principal and the teachers could not have assaulted or instigated the students to assault the WAEC officials as is being reported.”
On the school’s comment on a video footage in which the principal is seen storming out of the exam centre, Head of Communications at Bright Senior High School, Dr. Isaac Asare, said the scene was filmed after the examination when Mr Amponsah had gone to find out what had happened.
“Again, the director could not have asked the students to stop writing because the exam was over anyway,” he said.
However, the school has condemned the chaos and apologised to WAEC.
“All that we will say as management is that we condemn the act. And then we apologise to WAEC and the entire nation.
Background
About 1200 final year SHS students of the Bright Senior High School are writing their exit exams.
On the 6th of August there were reports of attacks on officials of WAEC sent to the school to invigilate the social studies paper.
In a video footage, a security man is heard accusing the principal of the school of asking the students to stop writing the exams. In the video Mr. Amponsah is seen walking out of one of his three campuses. Contrary to the claim by the WAEC invigilators, however, the school says the director gained access only after the examination was over to establish the cause of the confusion.
The police in Koforidua are said to have invited the principal for questioning. The school says its students have shared details of how an invigilator allegedly slapped one of the students for cheating.
WAEC is yet to respond to the allegation.
The post Bright SHS apologises for attack on WAEC officials but says principal not involved appeared first on MyJoyOnline.com.
Source: JoyOnline