The Honourable member of Parliament for North Tong in the Volta Region Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says GES sanctions meted out to the named SHS students are harsh, high-handed,and whimsical. According to him he is one of the many who condemned the the misconduct of the WASSCE candidates which we saw in viral videos on social media.
However, if there must be punishment, their apologies could have been considered since he has always subscribed to punishment that reforms and not punishment that destroys.
The offending students could be made to sign a bond of good behavior, allowed to complete the final examinations after which the release of their results may be delayed until surcharging and counselling obligations have been carried out. We do not have to destroy the future of these teenagers.
While pursuing the reformative punishment he proposed, it is absolutely essential that independent investigations are conducted into the circumstances that led to the rather strange expectations and conditions that have brought us to this embarrassing juncture. In other words – who told the students to expect a particular set of questions? Who assured them of weak and compromised invigilation? Why did some teachers gang up with students to attack WAEC officials? Why does it appear that students were simply not prepared for the WASSCE, what went wrong?
These are fundamental issues for which we must seek urgent answers and for which arbitrary destructive punishment does not address.
source: honorable Okudzeto Facebook page
