2026 BECE: 2 Dead, 7 Teachers Arrested for Exam Malpractice  

Seven teachers have been arrested for various examination offences in the ongoing Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), as the nation also mourns the tragic deaths of two BECE candidates, who were on their way to their examination centre in the Upper West Region.

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) confirmed that the arrests were made through its monitoring systems and information received from whistleblowers.

In a telephone interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Monday evening, May 4, 2026, the Head of Public Affairs at WAEC’s national office, John K. Kapi, disclosed that three of the teachers were arrested in the Central Region, two in the Bono Region, and two in the Ashanti Region.

Mr. Kapi explained that the teachers were involved in different forms of examination malpractice. Some smuggled mobile phones into examination halls, while others solved questions on external platforms. Investigations also showed that some candidates’ questions were fed into Artificial Intelligence tools such as ChatGPT, and in other cases, snapshots of the examination questions were taken and shared.

He said the suspects had been handed over to various police stations for further investigations and possible prosecution. Mr. Kapi commended whistleblowers for helping expose the illegal activities and urged all stakeholders to remain vigilant in order to maintain the integrity of the examination.

He added that WAEC had put in place measures to ensure the timely distribution of question papers and answer booklets to all centres across the country. Despite a few challenges reported at some centres, Mr. Kapi noted that overall, “today’s examination has gone well.”

The 2026 BECE began nationwide on Monday, May 4, under tight supervision by WAEC in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service. The week-long examination involves hundreds of thousands of candidates from both public and private junior high schools. It plays a key role in determining placement into senior high schools, as well as technical and vocational institutions.

Authorities say strict measures have been introduced to reduce malpractice, while candidates with special needs are receiving the necessary support to ensure fairness.

However, the start of the examination has been overshadowed by a heartbreaking incident in the Upper West Region. The Ghana Education Service has expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of two students from Charia Roman Catholic Junior High School.

The deceased were identified as Taufii Ibrahim, a BECE candidate, and Abdul Khalid, a Junior High School Two student. In a statement signed by the Head of Public Relations at GES, Daniel Fenyi, preliminary reports indicated that the two died in a road traffic accident on Sunday, May 3, 2026.

“Management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has received with profound sorrow the tragic news of the untimely demise of two Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates. Taufii Ibrahim and Abdul Khalid, students of Charia Roman Catholic Junior High School in the Upper West Region.

Preliminary reports indicate that the two candidates lost their lives following a road traffic accident on Sunday 3rd May, while enroute to Wa to join their colleagues ahead of the commencement of the BECE.

We are deeply saddened that these young lives, full of promise and potential, have been cut short under such distressing circumstances,” the GES stated.

According to one account, the students were travelling to Wa to join their colleagues ahead of the start of the examination when the accident occurred.

Emergency responders rushed the victims to a nearby health facility. Taufii Ibrahim was pronounced dead on arrival, while Abdul Khalid later died from his injuries on Monday afternoon.

The tragic deaths have thrown the Charia community into deep mourning, with students, teachers, and residents expressing grief over the sudden loss of the young lives. The incident has also raised concerns among education officials about the safety of candidates, especially those who travel long distances from rural communities to examination centres.

The Service extended its condolences to the bereaved families, the school, and the colleagues of the deceased students.

GES further indicated that it would continue to work with relevant authorities to establish the full circumstances surrounding the accident and consider measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.