BY Morlai Sesay
The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) has informed the public, particularly students, parents, guardians, and school authorities/leaders that the government, effective 2024, Would revoke payment of examination fees for repeaters of the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
It would be recalled that in 2018, the government pledged to develop the human capital development of the country through inclusive and equitable access to education for all children irrespective of circumstances. Consequently, the Free Quality School Education (FQSE) programme was launched whose focus was to cover the costs of formal and non-formal school education. These included payment of school fees subsidies and payment of examination fees for students in government and government-assisted schools among others. The concession was extended to include first-time repeaters; a goodwill gesture by the government to cushion the financial burden on parents and guardians.
The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) further noted with utter dismay the gross abuse of that goodwill by school authorities allowing people within the age bracket of 35 -50 years to register for those exams. That inconsiderate conduct of school authorities according to the Minister, had not only brought embarrassment to the government but had had implications for the conduct of the entire examinations with varied consequences. He said such had warranted for policy reversal for the payment of fees for repeaters. Preferential concession they noted, is however given to candidates with registered and verified disabilities.
"Repeater candidates who wish to sit to the WASSCE in 2024 and beyond are required to register for the private WASSCE but at individual cost," they averred.
The Ministry nevertheless updated the public that the government, under the Free Quality School Education programme, will continue with its commitment to covering the core costs of school fees subsidies, payments of examination fees for regular candidates in the National Primary School Examination (NPSE), Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), and the West African Senior School Certificate Education (WASSCE) classes; provision of Teaching Learning Materials (TLMs) to schools, provision of diet to government boarding schools, school feeding among others.
The Press Statements concluded by stressing that school authorities are therefore urged to unreservedly comply with the policy change or the appropriate sanctions.
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