According to him, the use of a song performed in Akan in a nationwide exam is unfair to non-Akan speaking students who may not understand the language well enough to answer the question effectively.

“Featuring a song in a language not universally understood by candidates is a clear disadvantage to those who lack linguistic competence in Akan,” Mr. Afari said.

Speaking to Sunyani based Space FM, he argued that even though WAEC claims there were optional questions for candidates, the approach still gives Akan-speaking students an upper hand.

“While Akan-speaking pupils have more than one accessible question to choose from, others may not. That creates an uneven playing field,” he added.

Mr. Afari believes the most equitable solution is to award bonus marks to all candidates, stressing that fairness and meritocracy should guide national assessments.

“No child should be asked to analyse a song in a language they barely understand. It defeats the purpose of fair evaluation,” he said.

He urged WAEC and stakeholders in the education sector to prioritise linguistic inclusion in future examinations to protect the right of every student to a fair academic assessment.