The Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced a comprehensive investigation into allegations of examination malpractice during the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), prompted by a JoyNews documentary exposing instances of cheating in some schools.
The probe aims to address concerns threatening the integrity of Ghana’s education system, with the GES vowing strict sanctions for those found complicit.
In a press release signed by Head of Public Relations Daniel Fenyi, the GES confirmed it will obtain and scrutinize the full documentary and its transcripts to guide the investigation. “A copy of the full documentary with the original transcripts will be obtained and scrutinised immediately, after which a full-scale investigation would be conducted into the allegations,” the statement read.
The GES underscored its zero-tolerance stance on exam malpractice, warning that cheating “undermines the integrity of our education system, destroys meritocracy, and produces graduates who lack the competencies required for national development.” The investigation has the backing of Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu and the GES Council, with plans to collaborate with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Security, and law enforcement agencies to tackle the issue.
“Management has the support of the Minister for Education and the GES Council to sanction any official of the Service—teaching or non-teaching—found to have been involved in aiding or abetting cheating,” the statement added. The GES’s swift response follows reports of organized cheating, including invigilators allegedly accepting bribes as low as GH¢60 to allow candidates to use mobile phones and AI tools like ChatGPT during the exams, as detailed in the JoyNews documentary Dark World of BECE.
The 2025 BECE, held from June 11 to 18, saw 603,328 candidates participate, with provisional results released on August 23. The GES urged stakeholders to support efforts to restore credibility to the examination process, emphasizing that any officials found guilty will face severe disciplinary action.
