WAEC must justify charging GH¢4.00 per strip of paper for results online - FGJ

The Forum for Governance and Justice (FGJ) has called on the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to justify to Ghanaians, especially students and parents, why it was charging GH¢4.00 for the PIN code needed to check results online.

A statement signed by Dr Clement .A. Apaak, Convener of FGJ and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Thursday said, the issue came to the attention of the FGJ before the release of the BECE results and all attempts to get answers to the charges proved futile.

“Even a brief report on our concern by Radio XYZ did not generate any answer from WAEC, hence the need to adopt a public approach in the interest of fairness and justice.”

It said two years ago, WAEC sold PIN codes inscribed on professionally produced scratch cards similar to the mobile phone unit cards to students to check their results online, “These cards were originally priced at GH¢2.50, and was later raised to GH¢4.00.”

The statement said when FGJ checked with owners of internet cafés, where most students and or their parents bought the scratch cards, “WAEC has completely done away with the scratch card and has since introduced strips of paper (one inch by three inches). The serial numbers and the PIN numbers on the strips of paper are all visible and can easily be copied without scratching. Yet, WAEC is still charging GH¢4.00 for each strip of paper with no security features.”

It said “We believe that slips of paper should not sell for more than GH¢1.00 at best.”

The statement said: “WAEC has a responsibility to explain why it is causing students and parents to spend extra amounts for an inferior product to check results online in addition to examination fees. These students and their parents also pay for the use of the internet as well as to print the provisional results.”**