Sunyani: The Conference of the Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) has voiced concerns about the escalating issue of examination malpractices, which they believe is undermining the integrity of the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC).

According to Ghana News Agency, CHASS highlighted the increasing sophistication of these malpractices, facilitated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and certain individuals within the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). The conference has advocated for extensive serialization of examination questions and a review of assessment methods under the new education curriculum. They also emphasized the need for strict punitive measures against those found guilty of malpractice.

During the 63rd Annual Conference of CHASS, held from October 6 to October 12, 2025, in Sunyani, a communique was issued expressing concern over the rising incidents of student indiscipline. The document pointed to recent occurrences of hooliganism, riots, possession of offensive weapons, and the abuse of substances like opioids and Indian hemp as alarming trends needing immediate attention.

The conference, themed ‘Ensuring comprehensive, equitable and sustainable secondary education in Ghana-the role of stakeholders’, also addressed infrastructure challenges. The communique, signed by Reverend Father Stephen Owusu Sekyere and Mr. Baro Primus, noted an acute shortage of furniture in classrooms, dining, and assembly halls, which negatively affects the smooth operation of schools and the effectiveness of teaching and learning.

CHASS urged the government to intervene swiftly to address these deficiencies, as many schools are forced to operate on transitional calendars due to the lack of resources. Additionally, the communique called on the government to expedite work on abandoned projects and to provide necessary duty-post vehicles and buses to schools in deprived areas.