WAEC to cancel the 2024 BECE for School over financial challenges

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), following the government’s delay in releasing funds for the 2024 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), says the national examination slated for July 2024 will likely be cancelled.

Describing the situation as unfortunate, a spokesperson for the Council in an interview monitored by Thisterm.com called on the central government to immediately release funds for the BECE to avoid disruption of the examination.

“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,” the Director of Public Affairs at WAEC, John Kapi told JoyFM.

Speaking on JoyFM’s Midday News, he noted that WAEC has received GH¢2,284,618, leaving an outstanding balance of ₵93,552,688 needed for the BECE saying that the GH¢2 million received is insufficient to facilitate the examination.

Meanwhile, the Ranking Member on the Education Committee, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, says he earlier proposed a road map for the release of funds for the BECE but his suggestion was ignored by the Chairman of the Education Committee.

He said the Vice Chairman of the committee, Dr Prince Hamidu Armah downplayed the seriousness of the government’s indebtedness, arguing that such situations have been the status quo for the past decade.

Peter Nortsu-Kotoe said his suggestion if considered would enable the not-for-money-making organization (WAEC) to conduct the BECE and ensure they have the necessary financial resources to carry out their mandate.

“The Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) is coming on next month, and they need to prepare financially with resources to carry out their mandate. So, they need money,” the member of the Parliament Education Committee said.

The Ranking Member on the Education Committee, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, noted that in 2023, the government paid over GH¢80 million towards the BECE, and in 2024, it has already paid GH¢2.5 million plus an additional ₵6 million.

“Just to make the point that the government has demonstrated commitment towards making payments and ensuring that the examinations are conducted,” the Member of Parliament for Akatsi North constituency said.

In a related development, Africa Education Watch amid the upcoming 2024 edition of the BECE and WASSCE for School has called on the Electricity Company of Ghana to publish a dumsor timetable due to the power crisis in the country.

In a letter to His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the EduWatch official said “Be bold and publish a timetable. The harm is already caused to our trust in you as a competent manager of our energy sector.

You have messed up our energy sector finances big time, after accusing your predecessor of the same. I am very disappointed in you! Please, instruct the ECG MD you appointed to publish the timetable; and fire him after for lying to the public.”