Release BECE funds to WAEC to facilitate smooth exams – GNECC to Govt
The Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) has said it is deeply troubled by recent announcements from the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) regarding the impending Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), scheduled for July 8, 2024.
Records from WAEC indicates that government owes the council an amount of GH₵698,500beingtheoutstanding balance needed for the 2023 BECE exams.
For the 2024 examination, only 2.28 million Ghana cedis have so far being disbursed out of the ₵95,837,306 needed to facilitate the examination.
The Coalition noted that BECE is not only vital for assessing students’ academic progress but also for determining their placement in senior high schools.
It stressed that any disruption to this examination could have far-reaching consequences for the educational and future career prospects of these young learners.
The Coalition further expressed worry over the timing of the issue as the BECE is few weeks away.
“It’s sad to note that these issues are now coming up with just about three weeks to the start of the BECE, which has the potential not only to disrupt the smooth facilitation of the examinations but also affect the mindset of learners preparing to take the exams. GNECC strongly urges the government to take immediate action to address this funding shortfall. We call on the Ministry of Education, The Ghana Education Service and other relevant authorities to prioritize the release of all necessary funds to WAEC, before the close of next week to ensure that the BECE can proceed as planned.
“We do not want a situation that pertained last year, where six months after the BECE examination, WAEC has still not paid examiners, invigilators and a host of other service providers who helped to make the exams a success. These issues does not only affect the integrity of the examinations, but also cast doubt on the successes of future examinations” GNECC is also urging government to implement a Sustainable Funding Mechanism to prevent a recurrence of such situations.
While this matter is being addressed, the Coalition also appealed to WAEC to ensure that they have put in place stringent measures to prevent yet another potential leakage of exams questions as it happened last year.
According to GNECC it remains committed to advocating for the rights and welfare of Ghanaian students.
It added that it will “continue to monitor this situation closely and engage with all relevant parties to seek a resolution that prioritizes the educational needs of our children.”
