Education Ministry urges WAEC PRO to verify facts before public statements

The Ministry of Education (MoE) has advised the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to ensure accuracy in public statements to avoid misinformation and misinterpretations regarding the Ministry’s commitments and efforts.

This comes after a discrepancy arose over the release date of the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results and the financial support provided by the Ministry to WAEC.

During a visit to WAEC’s offices on Tuesday, Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum assured journalists that the 2024 WASSCE results would be released by December 29, as WAEC was in the final stages of the marking process.

However, WAEC refuted this claim, stating that it had not guaranteed a specific release date due to unresolved financial and operational issues.

John Kapi, the Head of Public Relations at WAEC, clarified to Graphic that the Council had received a GHS 25 million payment on December 18 but was still awaiting an additional GHS 35 million requested from the Ministry to address critical needs.

“Without any formal meeting with WAEC management, the minister addressed the media, giving assurances about the release of results by December 29. This is inaccurate. The funds received so far do not fully cover our operational expenses, including repairing scanners and processing objective test answer cards,” Kapi stated.

In response, the Education Ministry issued a detailed statement on Thursday, December 26, affirming its financial commitment to WAEC. The Ministry revealed that WAEC had officially acknowledged the receipt of GHS 25 million in a letter dated December 20, 2024, and that an additional GHS 35 million had been disbursed to facilitate the processing of WASSCE results.

“It is surprising that WAEC’s PRO publicly denied receipt of the GHS 25 million payment despite official documentation confirming its acknowledgement,” the Ministry stated.

The Ministry also emphasised its broader financial support to WAEC, highlighting that a total of GHS 167,976,815 had been disbursed to the Council from July 2024 to date to fulfil its financial obligations for the WASSCE examinations.

The Education Ministry urged WAEC’s PRO to verify facts internally before making public pronouncements. It stressed that unverified statements could mislead the public and cast unwarranted aspersions on the Ministry’s efforts to support education in Ghana.

“We urge the public to remain calm as we continue to collaborate with WAEC to ensure the timely release of the 2024 WASSCE results,” the Ministry concluded.

This exchange has sparked public interest, with many calling for enhanced coordination and transparency between the ministry and WAEC to prevent future miscommunication.