The fate of over 460,611 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) School Candidates hangs in the balance as the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) faces challenges in releasing their results due to funding constraints. According to John Kapi, Head of Public Affairs of WAEC, the examination body is awaiting the release of additional funds out of an outstanding balance of GH¢118 million from the Ministry of Education to repair scanners and complete the scanning process of objective cards.
“Currently, we actually have a number of scanners but due to lack of funds, we have not been able to service them as they break down. That’s what has led to the current situation,” Kapi explained. He appealed to examination officials and suppliers to exercise restraint, assuring that payment for their services would be made as soon as the needed funds are released.
WAEC has urged the public to ignore social media speculation about result release dates, stating that “the results will be released as soon as the challenges being experienced with the post-examination activities are resolved.”
The 2024 WASSCE-SC, which commenced on August 5 and ended on September 20, saw 460,611 candidates participate, with 247,657 female candidates and 212,954 male candidates from 1,003 schools. The examination was administered for the third successive time under the “new normal” calendar for Ghana, which was occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
In an earlier statement, WAEC identified several infractions in the 2024 examination, including photocopying and distribution of answers, smuggling of mobile phones, and concealment of foreign materials. The council assured that appropriate action would be taken to sanction those found culpable.
As the wait for results continues, WAEC’s funding constraints have raised concerns about the timely release of results, with Kapi indicating that the council initially projected to release results between December 9 and 15, but may face delays due to the ongoing funding shortfall.
