The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced a delay in the release of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results, attributing the setback to severe financial constraints.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, December 19, John Kapi, the Head of Public Affairs at WAEC, explained that the Council has been unable to fulfil financial obligations crucial for the examination’s processing.
According to Mr. Kapi, WAEC owes GH₵25 million to technicians responsible for repairing and maintaining critical equipment used in marking the WASSCE. This includes specialised scanners essential for grading objective questions.
“The results are not ready. We issued a statement earlier highlighting some of the challenges we are currently facing.
Unfortunately, these challenges persist because we have not been able to secure the necessary funds to address them,” Mr. Kapi said during the interview.
He emphasised that the technicians have withdrawn their services, halting repairs to the scanners and further delaying the processing of results.
Mr. Kapi pointed out that WAEC’s financial issues are largely tied to the government’s responsibility for covering examination fees for candidates in public schools. While private schools promptly settle their fees, the government’s delayed payments have left WAEC in a financial bind.
“We needed to repair our scanners because we owe the technicians GH¢25 million, and they have withdrawn their services until we make some financial commitments,” he elaborated.
The delay has sparked concern among stakeholders, including the minority in Parliament, who have demanded immediate action from the government. The minority has called for the finance and education ministers to be summoned to Parliament to address the issue and explain the delay in payments to WAEC.
The delay in releasing WASSCE results could have significant implications for students awaiting their grades for tertiary education placements.
Educational institutions and families are expressing frustration over the uncertainty caused by the financial stalemate.
WAEC has not provided a definitive timeline for the release of the results, urging stakeholders to expedite efforts to resolve the financial crisis.
This development underscores the need for sustainable funding mechanisms to ensure the smooth operation of national examinations critical to the academic and professional futures of young people.