Parliament Legal Committee to meet Law Students over Exam Failures

The Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Parliament is set to meet with the National Association of Law Students this week over the mass failure in the entrance exam that rocked the Ghana School of Law this year.

This follows an earlier meeting the Committee had with the General Legal Council and the Independent Examination Committee where the two bodies offered explanations for the occurrence.

This year, out of the about 1,800 students who sat for the entrance exams, only 128 of them passed.

But the Chairman of Parliament’s Legal Committee, Ben Abdallah, tells Citi News that the Committee is working hard to find a lasting solution to the concerns raised so far.

“We have called the students and they have given an indication that anytime we meet them, they are ready and willing to come. So either Tuesday, Wednesday or even by the close of next week, we will have met some representatives of the association so they come and present their side of their story to us.”

Months ago, the Ghana School of Law recorded yet another case of mass examination failure only months after a similar one was witnessed which saw more than half of the candidates for the Bar exams failing.

This time around, the mass failure was recorded at the entrance exams.

Pressure had been mounted on the General Legal Council following the mass failure with many calling for drastic reforms.

But the Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo had said the existing systems and structures for the training of lawyers in the country will not be changed despite public outcry.

She stressed that the current system that many deem as strict and unfair, is meant to ensure that lawyers who are trained in the country are of global standards.

You can’t solely blame students for mass law exams failure – Rawlings

Former President Jerry John Rawlings says students alone cannot be blamed for the mass failures coming out of the Ghana Law School entrance exam.

In his view, the Ghana Law School cannot be absolved from blame following the number of students who failed the exam.

Mr Rawlings said outcomes like these are detrimental to the future of the country.

“93% failure and you think you can get away with blaming the students? You don’t blame the establishment or institution? Small demo that they did, what are the reasons to back that demonstration? Why would you fire rubber bullets at them? We are acting like we don’t use our minds. No matter how bad these things can be, by destroying the merits, you’re killing the fire of idealism in the youth. You’re destroying your future,” he said.