Ministry of Education refutes claims of GH¢68.5 Million spending on WASSCE pasco

The Ministry of Education has refuted allegations of spending GH¢68.5 million on photocopying past questions for students sitting for the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE).

It was purported that the Ministry incurred expenses of GH¢33.6 million in 2020 and over GH¢34 million in 2021 for this purpose, both through single-source procurement.

Speaking in Parliament on Monday, March 4, Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum clarified that the government allocated these funds to photocopy past questions for senior high school (SHS) students to aid in their preparation for the WASSCE.

Dr. Adutwum explained that the past questions were procured from Messrs Kingdom Books and Stationery at a unit price of GH¢78.00 during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, aiming to support students ahead of the WASSCE.

However, in a Facebook statement, the Ministry's Public Relations Officer, Kwasi Kwarteng, said the mentioned amounts were not solely for photocopying but for the printing, supply, and distribution of revision books. He deemed claims of spending GH¢78 on photocopying a page in the booklet as inaccurate and misleading.

Mr. Kwarteng clarified that in 2019, the funds were utilized to procure study guides from Messrs. Aki-Ola Publications Company Limited and Messrs. Kingdom Books and Stationery Company Limited. These study guides comprised past questions and answers for SHS students, with 207,000 copies procured at an estimated cost of GH¢40 each.

He added that in 2021, the Ministry engaged Messrs. Kingdom Books and Stationery Limited for the printing, supply, and distribution of 446,957 revision books for SHS at a cost of GH¢78 each. These revision books included updated editions containing WAEC past questions, Chief Examiner’s Reports, and possible answers.