The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has indicated that there is a possibility of delaying the forthcoming Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) due to financial limitations. As per the Director of Public Affairs at WAEC, John Kapi, the council requires approximately GH₵90 million to facilitate the examinations.
During an interview on Joy FM’s Midday News on June 21, he mentioned that despite the completion of printing the exam papers, insufficient funds are available for the distribution of these papers and the deployment of WAEC officials for exam monitoring. Therefore, until the necessary funds are secured, the examination is likely to be rescheduled.
“On our part, as I have said to the media over the last few days, we have managed go get bond paper to print our question papers. So all preliminary preparations have been done. What we need is to get money from the government and then we send our officers out there and conduct the examination.
“In view of that, we are afraid we might have to postpone the exam because there is no money anywhere for us to use for the examination,” he said.
Mr. Kapi stated that the deferment would persist until the funds are disbursed, allowing the examining body to conduct the examinations. The postponement due to the lack of financial resources was deemed uncommon by Mr. Kapi, noting that WAEC “has never had to postpone any exam because of monetary issues but as it stands that is the only option.”
The Director of Public Affairs expressed that despite their efforts to secure funding from the government for operational purposes, the Ministry of Education has regrettably not responded to their requests. In the meantime, he encouraged students who are getting ready for the upcoming BECE to persevere in their studies.
A week prior, John Kapi disclosed, “For BECE, we still have an outstanding payment of ₵698,500, and then for the 2024 examination, we expect a total amount of ₵95,837,306 from the government.”
He pointed out that to date, the council has received ₵2,284,618, leaving an outstanding balance of ₵93,552,688 required for the BECE. He stressed that the $2 million received is inadequate to support the examination.The Minority group on the Education Committee in parliament initially brought up the matter this week, requesting a payment plan from the government.
The Ranking Member on the Education Committee, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, disclosed that he suggested to the Chairman of the Education Committee that they organize a meeting with the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Education, and the national officer for WAEC to establish a roadmap for releasing funds.He highlighted that this would allow WAEC to administer the BECE and ensure they have the essential financial resources to fulfill their mandate.
