The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has expressed its anticipation of the government’s release of funds necessary for the marking and release of results for this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE).
Mr. John K. Kapi, the Head of Public Affairs at WAEC, conveyed the importance of receiving these funds early to facilitate the essential processes.
According to Mr. Kapi, the government had initially allocated GH₵10.5 million to WAEC to kickstart the BECE examination process. However, with the exams now concluded, further funds are needed to carry out the critical steps of marking and result release.
He noted that the Council had already engaged with the Minister of Education on September 25, during which the Minister acknowledged that the allocated funds might be insufficient for the entire process. Consequently, the Chief Director was instructed to work towards securing additional funds.
As of now, no additional funds have been received by WAEC. Nevertheless, the Council has diligently prepared for the marking process, with the coordination of examiners commencing between Wednesday, October 4, and Saturday, October 7. Actual marking is scheduled to begin on Monday, October 9.
It is worth noting that WAEC faces the task of compensating over 22,000 examiners for their services. Mr. Kapi expressed concerns about the potential repercussions if the government fails to release the necessary funds, emphasizing that without adequate funding, the Council may be unable to complete the process and compensate examiners as required.
This concern has been communicated to the government, with the hope that the promised funds will be released promptly.
The timeline for releasing the results of the BECE is contingent on the government’s disbursement of funds. Mr. Kapi mentioned that the Council is targeting the last week of October 2023 for the release of BECE results.
Additionally, he noted that marking for the WASSCE exams would commence as soon as the necessary arrangements, including the swapping of regions, are finalized.
Source: GESHub.org
