The Minority caucus on the Education Committee in Parliament has called for an urgent stakeholder meeting to resolve the government’s indebtedness to the West African Examination Council (WAEC).
WAEC has consistently raised concerns over the government’s continued indebtedness to the entity, making them unable to pay their service providers, including invigilators and examiners.
Ranking Member on the Education Committee, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, revealed that the government owes WAEC over GH₵300 million for the period between 2022 and 2024.
“We still have some arrears of 2022 to be cleared which is about GHs9,972,000 for the 2022 WASSCE which is outstanding. Then again for 2023, before Friday, it was GHs56,515,000. They have paid GHs10 million, so remaining GHs46,515,000 being owed to WAEC. As for 2024, government has not touched it at all, which is in the sum of GHs178,342,000. That is what they are owing. So if you put that of WASSCE together, it is GHs224,857,000 in total for WASSCE alone- 2022, 2023, 2024.”
“If you come to BECE, for 2023, they have just 698,000 outstanding. 2024, the cost of GHs95,837,000. They have given them only GHs2.3 million. Now GHs93 million is outstanding so if you put what is outstanding plus the GHs698,000 for 2023, there is an outstanding money of GHs94 million on the 2023 and 2024 BECE to be cleared,” he said.
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe noted that the Council is already losing experienced examiners due to the Council’s inability to pay for services provided.
“We are losing seasoned examiners who moderate the questions, who prepare the marking scheme and do a lot of things for them. Because they are coming to do work for you and you are not paying them, so they don’t want to do it again. So you see that they have to take on new examiners who are not experienced and that is creating a problem for them.
“The rate at which we are losing seasoned examiners if it is not stopped, WAEC will have a big challenge in delivering on quality examination for us as a country.”
The Ranking Member warned that the government’s failure to pay the over GH₵300 million debt in time could pose serious challenges to this year’s BECE, which is scheduled for next month.
“The BECE is coming on next month, and they need to prepare financially with resources to carry out their mandate.”
The start date for the 2024 BECE is July 8 through Friday, July 12, 2024. WASSCE is also expected to begin on July 1 and end on August 31, 2024.
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