Is Ghana So Broke That We Can’t Pay GHS118m to WAEC for 2024 WASSCE Results?
It is baffling to hear that the government and the Ministry of Education cannot raise GHS 118 million for the payment of examination fees. The government has willingly decided to pay for WASSCE students registered for the WAEC exam for the year 2024.
Several interpretations have been made regarding the failure of the government to pay the GHS118 million.
According to public opinion, the government is not ready to pay the full amount because it is broke. Others believe that the government is delaying the payment to hinder the incoming government’s plans to pay the fees of first-year students in public tertiary institutions, as promised by the incoming John Mahama-led government in its pre-election manifesto.
Some believe the government is delaying the payment to ensure that the next administration takes responsibility for this expenditure, particularly since it intends to offer fee-free tertiary education to all level 100 students admitted to tertiary institutions.
Others speculate that the government is intentionally delaying the release of results by not paying what it owes WAEC.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has expressed concerns over the delayed release of the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results, attributing the delay to financial constraints. The Ghanaian government owes WAEC GH₵118 million for examination fees, of which only GH₵25 million has been paid. WAEC officials have stated that this partial payment is insufficient to cover operational costs, including the repair of essential scanning equipment necessary for processing examination results.
The Ministry of Education recently announced the release of an additional GH₵25 million to WAEC to facilitate marking activities and ensure the timely release of the 2024 WASSCE results. However, WAEC maintains that the total outstanding debt must be settled to expedite the release of the examination results.
The delay in releasing the WASSCE results has caused concern among students, parents, and educational institutions, as it may disrupt academic calendars and admission processes. WAEC has urged the government to fulfill its financial obligations promptly to enable the completion of result processing and maintain the integrity of the examination system.
The announcement by the Minister of Education that the results will be released by December 29, and the counterinformation from WAEC that the statement is inaccurate, also highlights a clear lack of integrated communication and collaboration between the Ministry of Education and WAEC in resolving the current financial bottlenecks.
This situation further illustrates that the government’s decision to pay for the WASSCE exam on behalf of Free SHS students is not sustainable. If the government cannot afford to fund such initiatives, it should not, for political reasons, create the impression of supporting parents. Parents whose wards have benefited from Free SHS for three years should be able to pay at least the examination fees for their wards as WASSCE candidates.
Whatever the real issues may be, the government must ensure it pays WAEC and that the results are released before January 7, 2024. Anything short of this will tarnish the image of the outgoing government. WAEC has never delayed the release of WASSCE results as it has this year, and it is disheartening to see how this delay could indirectly affect the academic calendar of universities in the country.
READ: Parents Must Demand Action on 2024 WASSCE Results Delay
In summary, while the Ghanaian government has made partial payments towards the debt owed to WAEC, the remaining balance is crucial for the timely release of the 2024 WASSCE results. The situation underscores the importance of adequate funding in sustaining educational assessment processes and ensuring that student’s academic progress is not hindered.