More than 15 students from the Osu Presbyterian Senior High School narrowly avoided being barred from their Social Studies exam after arriving late to the examination hall during the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

The incident unfolded during a scheduled visit by officials from the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC), who were there to monitor the adherence to examination rules and ensure discipline.

In an interaction with the media, Vincent Esuah, the headmaster of Osu Presbyterian Senior High School, voiced his displeasure with the students' chronic lateness.

He made it clear that the examination rules would be upheld without exception.

“WAEC works with rules and regulations, and the rules are that students are to be seated 30 minutes before a paper. We already had a delay, and as we started the paper, they [the students] were just arriving. They have no reason for coming late; they are simply perpetual latecomers. If you ask them, you will know why they are late, and I will not allow anyone to breach the rules, especially if you don’t have a special reason,” Mr. Esuah noted.

Dr. Rosemond Wilson, Head of the WAEC National Office, stressed the significance of enforcing the 30-minute rule before the start of any exam to minimise the risk of cheating.

“In our rules and regulations, students are supposed to be seated 30 minutes before the start of a paper, and they are not supposed to go out 30 minutes before the end of a paper.

“The supervisors are to adhere to this rule for the smooth conduct of the exam, and candidates are to give a reason for their lateness,” Dr. Wilson emphasised.