The Right Reverend Kwaku Effah, the Methodist Bishop of the Sunyani Diocese, has called for stakeholders’ contribution to stem examination malpractices in the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), which begins on Monday, May 4, 2026.

He said stakeholders’ support was required for an incident-free, fair, and credible BECE, adding that examination malpractices threatened the moral integrity of the nation.

Rt Rev Effah made the call when addressing the 47th Annual Diocesan Synod in Sunyani. The synod was on the theme: “Walking in the word: Equipped for every good work”, based on 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

The Methodist Bishop noted that education ought to go beyond academic performance, instilling moral values that would shape the character of the young people.

He stressed that “the child’s education isn’t only about academic performance, but also about moral integrity and uprightness that will carry them far into the future,” Rt Rev Effah highlighted the stakeholders’ essential role in safeguarding the integrity of BECE, saying that a collective approach was required to stem examination malpractices.

He advised: “The child has to learn hard, prepare well, and must be able to produce good results after school based on their own efforts.” He cautioned the candidates to eschew all forms of malpractice and to be confident.

Rt Rev Effah warned the candidates further against the temptation to bring foreign materials into the exam halls and urged them to be studious.

“The brain is such that whatever you learn, after reflection, it will come back to help you produce the answers”, he stated, and urged the candidates to also respect authorities and strictly abide by examination rules and regulations to avoid sanctions.

He condemned the bad practice of some families who tried to compromise the integrity of the BECE by bribing invigilators to aid the candidates or buy question papers for them.

Rt Rev Effah indicated that teachers, invigilators, parents, and everyone had a role to play in ending examination malpractice.

He called on the West African Examination Council (WAEC), the Ghana Education Service (GES), and security agencies to intensify monitoring at the various examination centres.

Rt Rev Effah also urged faith-based organisations to be persistent in prayer for the candidates.

He urged the candidates to learn hard, saying that prayer without preparation and integrity would not yield the right results.