GCE Examination Postponement Sparks Mixed Reactions Among Parents and Stakeholders in Bamenda
By Wirngo Peter Tardzenyuy
The recent postponement of some 2026 General Certificate of Education (GCE) examination papers following reports of question paper leakages has sparked widespread reactions among parents, civil society actors, education stakeholders and residents in Bamenda.
The decision, aimed at preserving the credibility of the examination process, has however left many candidates and their families grappling with unexpected challenges, particularly in the North West Region where the ongoing socio-political crisis has already complicated access to education.
For many families, the extension means additional financial strain. Several candidates from insecure rural communities had relocated to urban centres such as Bamenda to sit for the examinations under safer conditions. Parents say they had carefully budgeted for accommodation, feeding and transportation based on the original examination schedule.
Dr. Alfred Wuku Kudi, a parent, expressed concern over the financial implications of the postponement. According to him, parents planned their expenses around specific examination dates and are now being forced to bear additional costs to keep their children in town until the rescheduled papers are written. He questioned whether school reopening dates would also be adjusted to accommodate the changes and argued that parents should not shoulder the burden of what he described as an administrative failure.
Human rights advocate and Coordinator of the Commission of the Cameroon Human Rights Centre in Bamenda, Dr. Agbor Nkeng, described the incident as an embarrassment for the GCE Board. He noted that examination leakages undermine public confidence in an institution that has conducted national examinations for decades.
Dr. Nkeng argued that responsibility for the leak should rest with those entrusted with managing the examination process rather than the candidates who may have gained access to the questions. He also highlighted the psychological impact on students, particularly those who had prepared extensively for the examinations.
"When students prepare for months and suddenly learn that their examination has been postponed, it affects their morale and confidence," he observed.
He further pointed to the financial difficulties facing parents whose children travelled from distant localities to examination centres in major towns, saying the postponement would require additional spending on accommodation, food and other necessities.
Not all reactions have been negative.
Human rights activist Kisob George N described the postponement as a necessary response to an unfortunate situation. While acknowledging that the leak should not have occurred, he argued that the authorities had little choice but to reschedule the affected papers in order to protect the integrity of the examination.
According to him, the extra time provides students with another opportunity to strengthen their preparation while ensuring that certificates earned through the process retain their value and credibility.
A Parent, Sunday Ghali Bekwa also focused on the practical challenges facing families. He said many candidates had moved from rural areas to urban centres because examination centres in their localities were either inaccessible or considered unsafe. Extending the examination period by several days, he noted, would disrupt financial and logistical arrangements already made by many households.
Journalist Amabo Chris Abonwi offered a different perspective, describing the postponement as both an opportunity and a challenge. He believes the additional time could benefit students by allowing them to revisit topics they may not have fully covered before the examinations.
At the same time, he acknowledged growing anxiety among candidates who fear that replacement examination papers could be more difficult than those originally scheduled. Such concerns, he said, have affected the confidence of some students who are now second-guessing their level of preparedness.
As debates continue, one point remains common across the different opinions expressed: the need to strengthen examination security and prevent future leakages. For many stakeholders, protecting the credibility of the GCE remains essential, but so too is ensuring that candidates and their families do not bear unnecessary burdens when administrative failures occur.
For students in the North West Region and beyond, attention now turns to the revised examination timetable and the hope that the remaining papers will proceed without further disruption.
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