Member of Parliament for Akatsi North and Ranking Member on education, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, has revealed that the greatest problem facing the West African Examination Council (WAEC) in the fulfilment of its duties is the inadequate release of funds.
According to him, as it stands now, government has not finished paying WAEC for the conduct of the 2021 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). He noted that government owes a “balance of GHC 15,790,072.00 for the WASSCE and GHC7,221,755.00” for the BECE examinations held. This, he explained, makes a total outstanding debit of GH₵ 23,011,827.00 on the two examinations for 2021.
“The greatest problem facing the West African Examination Council in the discharge of its mandate is the inadequate release of funds to the Council.”
Peter Nortsu-Kotoe
Addressing parliament, Mr Nortsu-Kotoe indicated that the situation has become dire as no money has been released to WAEC for the conduct of the 2022 WASSCE and BECE examinations. He highlighted that the Council “immediately needs a total of GH₵ 96,694,432.40” to engage in a number of pre-examination activities, transportation, and allowances for examiners, supervisors, invigilators and depot-keepers.
“Mr. Speaker, it is disheartening to know that persons who supervised and invigilated the BECE for school candidates as well as script checkers for 2021 are yet to be paid the allowances due them.”
Peter Nortsu-Kotoe
To address the situation, the ranking member on education appealed to the Minister of Finance to as a matter of urgency release money to the West African Examination Council for a smooth conduct of this year’s examination.
Conduct of 2022 WASSCE exams
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe expressed that this year, a total number of 422,883 candidates have registered to take part in the examination and are drawn from 977 schools. He stated that there are as well 72 candidates with visual impairment and 14 with hearing impairment.
“This year’s examination, which is Ghana Version of the 2022 WASSCE, is expected to start from the 1st of August to the 27th of September, 2022. Candidates are to write a total of sixty subjects including four core and fifty-six electives. Each candidate is to write four core subjects and four electives from the seven programmes offered in senior high schools.”
Peter Nortsu-Kotoe
The Akatsi North legislator ahead of the WASSCE exams, wished all the candidates for this year, a “big success despite the challenges” they are currently facing in preparing for the examinations which include food shortages and the strike action by teachers and educational workers at the pre-tertiary level.
“Let me use this opportunity to remind all candidates of measures being put in place by WAEC to make sure that examination malpractices which include cheating, taking of foreign documents and materials to the examination halls as well as violence on supervisors and invigilators are checked and stiff sanctions are brought to bear on all those who fall foul of the regulations.”
Peter Nortsu-Kotoe
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe emphasized that Ghanaians are expecting the West African Examinations Council to conduct a credible examination this year devoid of malpractices, delays in the start of the examination, among others. That notwithstanding, he noted that it cannot be done without adequate provision of funds to WAEC to conduct a smooth and credible examination.
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