WAEC opens National Coordination Meeting …Head warns Examiners Against Compromising Validity

Over one thousand examiners on Tuesday, July 11, 2023 commenced the marking of the 2023 WASSCE Papers. Already,  the objective component of the marking has officially ended.The process, which is expected to last for about two weeks,  will end with the official release of the results of the 2023 WASSCE on August 10, 2023.Speaking at the National Coordination Meeting to mark the beginning of the marking  process, the Head of WAEC- Liberia, Dale Gbotoe,  urged the examiners to be focused, committed and to do the process in a professional manner and form.

The Liberian educator stressed that anyone, who undermines the work that WAEC does,  is an enemy of the State. He challenged examiners not to compromise validity at the detriment of the larger society. According to him, the  threat of validity is dangerous to the larger society. "If you give students undeserved marks , you are compromising validity and will be harming the society,"  he stated. Mr. Gbotoe wants examiners to mark the papers with accuracy, professionalism and to see integrity as the hall mark to what they will do over the next two weeks.Speaking on the political issues, he disclosed that  WAEC is ill political, as such, he urged  examiners to suspend all political activities as they go about a crucial national duty." Even though we are in the political season and the climate is charged but I challenged you to do you work for now and avoid politics," he pointed out. 

At the same time, Mr. Gbotoe hailed the Government of Liberia(GoL) for the regular payment of the students WASSCE fees,  disclosing that the government has made available 99% of this year's exams payment. Speaking about the candidates performances since the start of the WASSCE , the Liberian educator categorized them into two, Quantitative and Qualitative. Under quantitative , he said the number of candidates, who have sat the test,  have increased since the government intervened to pay the students’ fees, but for qualitative , he was quick to point out that more works need to be done. According to him, Liberian students are doing very well in Mathematics and English among their colleagues but are not performing at all in the Sciences. "I observe this and I think, it is due to the lack of practical knowledge provided to the students, they need to see what they are doing," he stated. The WAEC head  added that if the students are taught over time, especially in practical, they will do better in the Sciences.