Because of serious financial difficulties, the West African Examination Council (WAEC) warns it may have to postpone the next Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
July 2024 is the planned month for the BECE.
The council claims that they are in this dangerous scenario because the government has not released vital funding needed for exam preparation and administration. It claimed that it has not been able to acquire the examination logistics required for the start of the tests on July 8, 2024, because of the money owed by the government.
The WAEC's Director of Public Affairs, John Kapi, stated in an interview with JoyFM that the council is expecting the government to pay GH₵95,837,306 in total; thus far, the government has only paid GH₵2,284,618 of that sum, leaving GH₵93,552,688 outstanding. He emphasized that the GH₵2 million received would not be sufficient to properly organize and get ready for the exams, which are scheduled to be administered in less than a month.
The government was encouraged to submit a payment schedule by the Parliamentary Minority Caucus earlier. In order to develop a strategy for allocating monies, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, the ranking member on Parliament's education committee, had suggested meeting with the ministers of finance, education, and WAEC. According to him, this would make it possible for the WAEC to carry out the BECE and get the money required for the rollout.
He pointed out that money was also needed for the upcoming August West African Secondary School Examination (WASSCE), thus a payment plan had to be created to avoid interfering with the exam schedule. Dr. Prince Hamidu Armah, the vice chairman of the committee, downplayed his worries, claiming that the WAEC has always been owed by succeeding governments. He maintained that the tests would not be hampered by the government's debt to the council. He stated that the government has established procedures for prompt payment and is dedicated to paying off its debts to the council as soon as feasible.
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