The 2024 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) is clouded in uncertainty as the examining body, West African Examinations Council (WAEC), is still waiting to recover about 98% of the GH¢95.83 million it required to conduct the exam.
Just under GH¢2.3 million of the GH¢95.83 million needed to properly conduct the exam has been given to WAEC. However, the council maintains that in order to carry out the examination and to analyze and disseminate the results, it would need at least 50% of the total money provided.
The exam is slated to start on Monday, July 8 and run through Monday, July 15, 2024, at all testing locations nationwide.
In an interview with Severious Kale-Dery of Graphic Online, John Kapi, Head of Public Relations at WAEC, stated that although GH¢6 million had been processed through the Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMIS), actual cash had not yet been converted.
Indebtedness
Mr Kapi expressed fears that the examination might not be conducted as scheduled if the funds were not made available in time. “A number of suppliers out of goodwill have supplied materials such as bond paper for printing of codes, consumables for the printing machines, answer booklets, pencils and other examination stationery on credit.
“As a result of our indebtedness, they are unwilling to supply any further materials for the next examination, which is the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates 2024,” Mr Kapi disclosed.
Late release of funds
Touching on the impact of the late release of funds, he said the current financial state of the institution affected every aspect of the conduct of the examinations. For instance, Mr Kapi explained, the situation had made the conduct of its mandated examinations expensive, stressing that “we have to airfreight some of the items needed for the examinations due to late purchases” instead of ordering to receive them by sea.
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Mr Kapi said because of the delayed payments from relevant bodies for the examination logistical materials, the council had no option but to airfreight the script envelopes, which would cost about $29,000 instead of by the sea freight, which would have cost the council about $6,500.
He explained further that currently, the council urgently needed script envelopes for the examination, adding that what was available in its possession was not enough even for the BECE, not to talk of the WASSCE, which would follow the BECE within a month by the current schedule.
He explained that over the years, the council had been receiving its examination materials through the sea freight, but that, he said, was not possible this year because there was no time.
Mr Kapi added that some of the items bought locally were exorbitant because “we buy on credit, and this limits our ability to negotiate for good prices”.
Challenges
For the efficient conduct of the examinations, he said, WAEC currently did not have the needed resources in the form of personnel and equipment such as scanners and biometric equipment to check malpractice.
Mr Kapi explained that even though the council had scanners and biometric equipment the previous year, it was necessary to procure more to augment what was already there, and also recruit more personnel since the candidature for each year kept increasing.
“As it is now, we are unable to introduce innovations geared at curbing malpractices,” he told the Daily Graphic, describing it as a worrying situation. Mr Kapi said because of delays in payments in previous engagements, there had been agitation on the part of supervisors, invigilators, examiners and script checkers.
He said the council was committed to conducting credible examinations, and, therefore, appealed for adequate logistics and funding to enable it to execute its mandate diligently.
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