A swarm of wild bees caused chaos at the Wa School for the Deaf examination center, attacking candidates writing the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). The incident injured two students and temporarily disrupted the exams.
A male and a female candidate were immediately rushed to the Wa Municipal Hospital for treatment. While the male student was treated and discharged in time to sit for his second paper, Career Technology, the female candidate was detained for further medical attention and unfortunately missed her exam.
The attack occurred shortly after the English-language paper. It’s believed the bees were disturbed when staff from the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) pruned a tree located near the examination center, dislodging a beehive.
Mr. Donald Tuor, the Upper West Regional Controller for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), confirmed the incident. He stated that WAEC is working to seek clemency for the female candidate who missed her paper. “We are considering pursuing a clemency case for her because it was not her fault. Though the subject is compulsory, it is not a core subject, so she can still be graded,” Mr. Tuor explained.
Malpractice Investigations Underway
In addition to the bee incident, Mr. Tuor disclosed that WAEC is investigating multiple cases of examination malpractice in the Upper West Region. So far, one invigilator in the Wa Municipality has been dismissed, and another is currently at large.
“All reported cases will be thoroughly investigated, and any individual found culpable will face the necessary sanctions,” Mr. Tuor warned. He added that teachers involved in malpractice would be reported to the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service for disciplinary action.
This year, the Upper West Region has a total of 14,733 registered BECE candidates, comprising 7,928 females and 6,805 males from 620 schools, along with 169 private candidates. The examinations are being conducted across 51 centers, supported by nine examination depots.
