I’m beautiful girl, my number is 0542…Examiner Raises Alarm Over WASSCE Candidate Inserting Love Notes in Answer Booklets

An educational technology consultant and long-time examiner, Ernest Ato Bentil, has revealed a disturbing trend observed during the recent marking of examination scripts. According to him, some candidates now insert love notes and even phone numbers into their answer booklets instead of writing actual responses to questions.

This revelation comes at a time when Ghana is still assessing the mixed performance of candidates in the latest WASSCE results—outcomes many have described as disappointing and far below expectations.

Speaking on Connect FM’s Omanbapa Morning Show with host Nhyiraba Paa Kwesi Simpson, Mr. Bentil, who also serves as CEO of Jnycafey Training Consult, expressed deep concern over the behaviour. He described it as a glaring sign of deeper systemic challenges within the nation’s educational structure.

He recounted one striking incident during his work as an examiner.
“Sometimes you open an answer booklet and there is absolutely nothing written,” he said. “There was a time I opened the script of a female candidate and found a note instead. She had written, ‘I’m a beautiful girl’ and boldly added her phone number.”

According to him, the candidate seemed to hope the examiner would call to negotiate her marks—an act strictly prohibited under WAEC regulations. “Such behaviour clearly shows that the student did not learn anything for the exam, yet she has passed through the classroom system since childhood,” he lamented.

Mr. Bentil traced the problem to weak academic foundations established during the early years of schooling. He argued that most of the challenges seen at the Junior High School (JHS) level stem from poor preparation at the upper primary stage.

“Our biggest issue is the foundation. We need to strengthen the base of our education system,” he stressed. “Many students struggle at the JHS stage because their upper primary foundation was weak. Most JHS topics begin from what is taught in upper primary. If a child fails to grasp those early concepts—taught over six years—they will definitely find it difficult to catch up within the three years of JHS.”

His commentary adds to the increasing calls for Ghana to refocus on early literacy and numeracy, particularly at the primary level. As the country continues to reflect on the latest WASSCE performance gaps, many believe that improving foundational learning may be the key to reversing the trend and raising educational standards nationwide.