The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has issued a stern directive to the Ghana Education Service (GES) to summarily dismiss any teacher found aiding examination malpractice in schools across the country.

Speaking at the 25th anniversary celebration of the International Community School in Kumasi, the Minister took a strong stand against what he described as a growing threat to educational integrity, mobile phone-assisted cheating.

“The major threat in the provision of quality education is a new phenomenon of phone cheating. When it’s time for exams, you see some of the young girls trying to rely on their phones to assist them, to aid them, to use shortcuts to pass,” he said.

“You will not travel far with that. Be guided. And to parents, let us be responsible. They can do it, and they can make it with honesty. Let’s train them with honesty.”

Mr Iddrisu emphasised that ethical conduct must be upheld at all levels of the education system, especially by teachers who are responsible for shaping the character of future generations.

“I have empowered the Ghana Education Service to fire and deal ruthlessly with any teacher who is associated with exam malpractice—promoting it, encouraging it, or facilitating it,” he stressed. “That teacher must suffer the consequences of failing to contribute to the moulding of character for tomorrow.”

The Minister also urged parents to take greater responsibility for monitoring their children’s use of technology, warning that unchecked access to mobile devices was fuelling a culture of dishonesty in examinations.

His remarks come amid heightened concerns by education authorities over the widespread use of electronic devices during exams, which continues to undermine the credibility of Ghana’s assessment systems.