Uncertainty hangs over the 2024 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) as the examining body, West African Examinations Council (WAEC), waits to recoup almost 98 per cent of GH¢95.83 million it needs to organise the examination.
WAEC has received just about GH¢2.3 million out of GH¢95.83 million required to successfully facilitate the exam. But the council insists that it would require not less than 50 per cent of the total amount to enable it to conduct the examination and a further release of more funds to enable it to process and release the results.
The examination is scheduled to commence on Monday, July 8 and end on Monday, July 15, 2024, at all centres across the country.
The Head of the Public Relations of WAEC, John Kapi, in an interview with Graphic Online’s Severious Kale-Dery, said even though some GH¢6 million had been processed through the Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMIS), it was yet to be translated into real cash.
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.
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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Academic performance in the Ho Municipality of the Volta region in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) from 2019 to 2023 has been declining.
The municipality recorded a pass rate of 69% in 2019, 68% in 2020, 61% in 2021, 59% in 2022, and 54% in 2023. Additionally only 6 students out of 2,938 in the municipality obtained aggregate 6 in the 2019 BECE. The figure increased to 8 out of 2,967 who were presented to write in the 2020 BECE. Only 1 student out of 3,271 obtained aggregate 6 in 2021, with no single student out of 3,070 obtaining aggregate 6 in the 2022 examinations. 3 students out of 3,549 obtained aggregate 6 in the 2023 BECE.
This downward trend, according to the Ho Municipal Directorate of Education, is a source of worry that calls for urgent attention from all stakeholders in the municipality to reverse the trend.
Figures from the directorate indicate that from 2019 to 2023, the municipality witnessed a steady decline in pass rates. It also came to light that the municipality’s performance in some subjects, especially mathematics, has not been encouraging.
This was the focus of attention at the maiden stakeholder’s consultative engagement on educational and learning outcomes held at Ho in the Volta region.
Organised by the Ho Municipal Directorate of Education, the forum brought together various stakeholders, including teachers, parents, local government officials, and community leaders, to deliberate on strategies to reverse the worrying trend.
The Ho Municipal Director of Education, Dr. Esther Adzo Yeboah-Adzimah, said there is the need for concerted efforts from all stakeholders involved to address the underlying issues contributing to the decline.
“We can enhance student performance, increase access to quality education, and prepare our children for their success in the 21st century. Let us commit to this shared goal and work towards creating a brighter future for our learners and our community,” she said.
The Ho Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Divine Bosson, said the trend does not reflect the potential of students or the dedication of educators in the municipality and called for commitment to taking actionable steps.
The Regional Director of Education, Mr. Francis Agbemadi, highlighted the critical need for collaborative efforts to improve academic outcomes not only in the municipality but the entire region in general. According to him, there is the need to diagnose the root causes of persistent education decline and implement targeted interventions to reverse the situation.
“There is the need for all hands to be on deck. We need to come out with new ideas that will help us address this challenge. Let us share our experiences, let us share expertise, let us share best practices so that we will make Ho municipality a centre of excellence in education delivery,” he stated.
The Volta Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Letsa, said the trend is deeply troubling and requires immediate action. According to him, the region’s future depends on the quality of education given to future leaders, and called on stakeholders to partner government to collectively invest in education in the region.
“To reverse this trend, stakeholders must work together to improve teacher capacity and pedagogy, invest in modern educational resources and infrastructure, encourage student-centred learning and extracurricular activities, and foster strong partnerships between schools, parents, and the community,” Dr letsa remarked.
Participants at the consultative engagement discussed potential interventions, such as improving teacher training and support, enhancing school infrastructure, increasing parental involvement, and implementing more effective educational policies.
The Ho Municipal Directorate of Education is expected to compile the suggestions and strategies from the engagement into a comprehensive action plan aimed at improving educational outcomes in the municipality.
