BECE 2026: Schools Charging Students Up to GH¢2,500 to Cook for Invigilators

A deeply troubling allegation has cast a shadow over the ongoing 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). Former Member of Parliament for Agona West and ex-Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Cynthia Morrison, has claimed that some examination centres are imposing illegal levies on candidates, demanding as much as GH¢2,500 per student to feed invigilators and pay external supervisors.

The former MP made these claims during an interview on May 2026, sparking immediate public concern and a renewed conversation about the integrity and fairness of the national examination system.

The Allegations: A Breakdown by Location

Madam Morrison provided specific figures and locations, alleging a pattern of systematic extortion across multiple schools in the Greater Accra Region. According to her:

• Spintex Area: Schools are allegedly charging students GH¢2,500 each.

• Abeka Area: Schools are reportedly demanding GH¢2,000 per student.

• Mamprobi Area: Students are allegedly being asked to pay GH¢1,500 each.

“Yesterday I received several reports from the Greater Accra Region concerning the ongoing BECE. Some schools in Spintex are charging GH¢2,500, Mamprobi students GH¢1,500 and Abeka GH¢2,000,” she stated.

What the Money Is Allegedly Used For

The former MP did not stop at stating the figures. She detailed the purported justification given by the schools for collecting these sums. According to explanations she received from a contact in the Abeka area:

• Feeding invigilators: The money is used to purchase food and prepare meals for teachers and external invigilators throughout the examination period.

• Cleaning the school compound: A portion is allegedly allocated for sanitation and maintaining the school environment during the exams.

• Payments to external supervisors: Disturbingly, a portion of the levy is said to be given as cash to external supervisors who come to monitor the examination.

It is this last point that is most alarming. While feeding invigilators has been a long-standing but often controversial informal practice, direct cash payments to external supervisors cross a bright ethical line. It creates a clear perception and possibly a reality of compromised oversight.

“But how do you charge a student who is writing exams GH¢2,500? For what purpose?” Morrison fumed.

A Corrupting Influence on Students

Beyond the financial burden placed on already stretched parents, Madam Morrison highlighted the moral harm such practices inflict on the very children the system is meant to nurture.

“So what at all are we teaching our children with these practices?” she asked pointedly.

She argued that when students see invigilators and supervisors being paid off with money collected from candidates, it normalizes corruption and sends the message that money can buy leniency or silence. For an examination designed to test honesty and academic merit, this is a corrosive lesson.

A Troubling Incident: The Locked-Out Invigilator

During the same interview, Madam Morrison recounted a separate but equally concerning incident relayed to her. In one centre, an external invigilator was allegedly locked outside the examination hall and could not find the key to enter. By the time the invigilator eventually gained access, activities inside the hall had allegedly been “manipulated.”

While this incident has not been independently verified, if true, it suggests a coordinated effort in some locations to deliberately obstruct external oversight, creating windows for malpractice to occur unchallenged.

Context: What the GES Has Already Said

These allegations come just a day after the Ghana Education Service (GES) Public Relations Officer, Daniel Fenyi, confirmed that the service had received over 500 anonymous complaints after the first day of the BECE. The GES had assured that all complaints would be investigated and that culprits would face disciplinary action.

The GES also explicitly stated that no candidate should be prevented from writing the exams over unpaid fees, and that the public should report irregularities through the official hotlines: 0201360789 and 02013602081.

The Call for Investigation

Cynthia Morrison, leveraging her experience as a former Minister and legislator, has now called for formal investigations into these specific allegations. Her detailed breakdown naming Spintex, Abeka, and Mamprobi  provides investigating authorities with clear leads to pursue.

The question of whether parents who have already paid these sums will come forward is complicated. Many fear that speaking out could lead to their children being victimised during the ongoing examination. This fear of retaliation is itself a strong argument for proactive, unannounced investigations by the GES and the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).