Some students of Buduatta DA JHS in the Gomoa East district of the Central region have been in tears as they could not participate in the ongoing Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), with their parents accusing the headmaster of squandering their registration fees.
In a video report by Adom News, some parents are seen consoling their crying wards while lamenting how the children put in efforts to prepare for the exams but all have gone waste.
The 2023 BECE commenced today, Monday, 7 August 2023.
Over 600,000 candidates are expected to sit for the examination which will run from today to Friday, August 11, 2023. This year's figure represents a substantial increase of 5.4% compared to the previous year.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) revealed that the candidates consist of approximately 300,323 males and 300,391 females, hailing from both private and public Junior High Schools. A total of 18,993 educational institutions will participate in the examination, with 2,137 centres designated to accommodate the candidates.
Relatedly, the government of Ghana paid an amount of GHS55 million to the West African Examination Council (WAEC) for the preparation of the BECE and WASSCE.
The Public Relations Officer of WAEC, Ms. Winifred Ampiaw disclosed that the funds received thus far amount to GH¢10.5 million for BECE and GH¢40 million for WASSCE.
The payment comes after the Minority in Parliament raised concerns about the outstanding debts owed WAEC.
Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, the Minority Spokesperson on Education, expressed deep concern over WAEC's urgent need for over GH¢50 million to fulfil its financial obligations and ensure the seamless organization of the upcoming 2023.
He highlighted the current challenges faced by WAEC, citing the government’s failure to release funds for compensating individuals who provided their services during the 2022 WASSCE.
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