The Campaign Against Privatisation and Commercialisation of Education (CAPCOE) has rejected claims that candidates from private schools were deliberately marked down in the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

The organisation described the allegations as misleading and cautioned that such claims could undermine public confidence in the nation’s examination system.

In a statement signed by its Convener, Mr Richard Kwashie Kovey, and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), CAPCOE said it did not speak on behalf of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and did not dismiss concerns raised by private school associations.

However, it disagreed with what it described as unhealthy comparisons between public and private schools regarding candidates’ performance in the examination.

According to CAPCOE, the BECE marking process involves several layers of quality assurance designed to minimise errors and prevent manipulation of candidates’ scores.

The organisation explained that after an examiner marks a script, it is vetted by a team leader and subsequently reviewed by a chief examiner, with any identified errors or anomalies corrected before the final scores are entered into WAEC’s system.

It added that objective-test papers are marked electronically, with scores automatically captured against candidates’ index numbers.

CAPCOE further noted that candidates’ schools are identified through unique codes rather than school names on examination scripts, making it difficult for examiners to determine whether a candidate attended a public or private school.

The statement said all BECE candidates were assessed under the same national grading system and ranked within a national pool of candidates, irrespective of the type of school they attended.

CAPCOE acknowledged that technical challenges could occasionally affect examination results but noted that WAEC initially released provisional results while investigations into examination malpractice and other irregularities continued.

Touching on concerns over the performance of some private school candidates, the organisation attributed part of the challenge to overreliance on past questions and mock examinations.

It explained that the current curriculum placed greater emphasis on critical thinking, problem-solving and the practical application of knowledge rather than rote learning.

CAPCOE urged parents not to depend solely on internal school examinations and mock results in assessing their children’s likely performance in the BECE, noting that such assessments were conducted under different conditions from the national examination.

The organisation also called on the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) and the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) to use established procedures, including requests for remarks and official reviews, where concerns existed about candidates’ results.

It said concerns should be channelled through the appropriate mechanisms rather than through allegations that could erode public trust in the examination system.

CAPCOE stressed that discussions surrounding the 2026 BECE should focus on improving teaching and learning outcomes across both public and private schools instead of creating divisions between the two sectors.