Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), John K. Kapi, says pregnancy does not prevent candidates from writing the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
John Kapi says that BECE candidates that have become pregnant can still sit for the examination, stressing that those who stayed away did so by choice.
His comments come after the revelation that out of 603,328 registered candidates, a total of 2,526 candidates were absent for this years BECE.
Speaking on GTV’s Breakfast show on August 26, John Kapi explained that, “They assign a number of reasons for absenteeism. One of the basic ones is as a result of illness and we’ve also had situations where some are pregnant. There’s no inhibition, if you are pregnant you still have the opportunity to come and write, and so it is a choice on the part of the candidates.”
The 2025 BECE began on Monday, August 5, and ended on Friday, August 9, with candidates sitting for both core and elective subjects. According to WAEC, the exams were conducted in over 2,000 centres nationwide.
Over the years, WAEC has faced mounting concerns over exam leaks and malpractice. The Council said it has stepped up its monitoring systems this year, including deploying more inspectors to centres, blocking access to certain websites, and calling for the installation of CCTV cameras in examination halls.
Despite these measures, reports still emerged of some invigilators and school authorities conspiring with candidates to assist them with their examinations. John Kapi says that monetary incentives often drive these practices.
“The basic motivation for that is monetary. A lot of anonymous people send information to us indicating centres where school authorities are charging certain amounts of money to provide assistance to the candidates in examination halls. Some areas we are told charge a higher amount for elective papers and a lower amount for core papers,” he shared.
He warned that WAEC has vowed to sanction individuals and institutions found culpable.
The Council is expected to release the full performance breakdown for this year’s BECE after final verification processes are complete.
