Africa-Press – Liberia. The head of the West African Examination Council (WAEC) has disclosed that Liberian students risk missing the 2024 exam if the country fails to pay its debts.
“If Liberia does not meet her obligations, it is possible that the candidates for Liberia will not be able to take the test in 2024, Dale Gbotoe, the WAEC Liberia Executive Director, said in an OK FM interview.
According to him, Liberia owes US$5.5 million as a contribution to WAEC, and if the country does not settle the payment, candidates might be allowed to sit the exam. All countries that are members of WAEC are obligated to make contributions to the councils annually as determined by the body.
“The fees that the government owes in 2023 were US$604,000, but they paid US$600,000, remaining US$4,000,” Gbotoe added.
“We are hopeful that the new administration will make her contribution.”
WAEC is a standard test that is administered in West African countries, including Liberia, for senior, junior, and elementary students. Students completing 12th grade must sit and pass in five subjects, including English and mathematics, and if they fail the test, they must resit at a cost of US$85.
Gbotoe added that Liberia pays the least amount as compared to Nigeria, which pays the highest fees.
Since 2018, WAEC has been free for all 12th graders. The George Weah administration underwrote the cost of the exam for the last five years for students to ease the burden on parents.
But lately, there have been reports that the former administration’s subsidy for students’ WAEC fees was a scam that has made the government indebted to the examinations council.
In response, Gbotoe said, “Oh yes, it is true that the government of Liberia owes WAEC headquarters an amount of U$5.5 million.”
“Liberia, being a member of WAEC, is under obligation to contribute towards WAEC headquarters.”
According to him, the previous government has not been in compliance with the council, causing Liberia to fall back on payment.
“What happened [is that] the previous government has not been consistent with the government’s obligation with WAEC headquarters, so this amount has accumulated over the period of time.”
According to him, over the last ten years, the government of Liberia has only paid the fees for the exam but refused to pay its contribution. “We have paid just three times. In fact, when the George Weah administration took over, they took over U$2 million, but because he was not paying, too, it has come to U$5.5 million. President Boakai is now taking over and inheriting a debt of $5.5 million.”
Gbotoe noted that in 2022, the Council took a decision to deny countries that were not paying their contribution to the exam.
“So when we enter 2023, we pleaded with the government that we stand a risk of 50 thousand students not doing the test. So the government, being under immense pressure, paid US$600,000 in 2023.”
“But that decision that says the defaulting countries, if they don’t clear their debts, their students will not be allowed to do the test, has not changed.”
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