The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has explained that the delay in releasing the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results is due to financial difficulties.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on December 19, John Kapi, WAEC’s Head of Public Affairs, stated that the results have not been made available because of unpaid debts owed to technicians who maintain crucial equipment for the examination process.
“The results are not ready. We issued a statement earlier outlining the challenges we are facing, and unfortunately, these challenges remain due to a lack of funds,” Mr. Kapi said.
A key issue, according to Mr. Kapi, is the malfunctioning of specialized scanners used to mark objective questions. These scanners require urgent repairs, but technicians have suspended their services due to an outstanding debt of GH₵25 million owed by WAEC.
“We need to repair our scanners, but we owe the technicians GH₵25 million, and they have withdrawn their services until we make financial commitments,” Mr. Kapi explained. He added that while private schools pay for their students’ fees, the government is responsible for funding candidates from public schools. As a result, the delay will continue until the debt is settled.
The issue has prompted the Minority in Parliament to call for the Finance and Education Ministers to be summoned to address the government’s outstanding payments to WAEC.
Source:TheDotNews