Govt to expand WAEC best candidate awards — Education Minister
The government plans to expand the number of best candidates who will be awarded scholarships in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) from three to 10, the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has announced.
He explained that the winners, to be determined by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), would receive a full Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund)-sponsored scholarship through the Ghana Scholarship Authority (GSA), yet to be formalised.
The minister, therefore, requested that the council amend its legislation to accommodate the expanded scholarship programme.
He disclosed this during the WAEC Distinction Awards 2024 event organised in Accra to award students who excelled in the WASSCE.
Determination
“All awardees to be determined by the WAEC will qualify for President John Mahama’s Scholarship.
“For every other year, without any interference to WAEC in the determination of the best students, 10 of them will receive the President’s pleasure of continuous support with full GETFund-sponsored scholarship through the scholarship authority,” Mr Iddrisu said.
He added that the best performing candidates for each programme in Science, General Arts, Business, Visual Arts, Best Female Science and Mathematics student, and best performing female from a deprived community, would receive the scholarship.
The minister further said that the second leg of the scholarship would promote Pan-Africanism, where excellent students from neighbouring West African countries could also qualify.
Scholarship Authority Bill
Mr Iddrisu also announced that he would, in the next few weeks, introduce the Ghana Scholarship Authority Bill, which would help to deal with nepotism and cronyism that was associated with the awarding of scholarship, in Parliament.
He, however, expressed worry about examination dishonesty, particularly in the use of mobile phones, and called for strict measures against it, giving assurances of the full backing of the government.
Mr Iddrisu urged the Ghana Education Service (GES) and WAEC to work together to restore an acceptable academic calendar for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and WASSCE to its pre-COVID-19 schedule to ensure the seamless transition of students.
The minister also announced that the country would be hosting the 74th Annual Council Meeting of WAEC next year and pledged the government’s full support.
He congratulated the awardees and urged them to walk with confidence and act with integrity, while commending WAEC for conducting a successful BECE.
The minister, however, entreated the examination body to release results in time to alleviate the anxiety of students.
Awardees
David Nii Commey Ankrah was declared the Overall Best Candidate of WASSCE for School Candidates, 2024.
He was presented with $1,200, a laptop, GH¢30,000 from Zenith Bank Ghana and a desktop computer to his alma mater, Hope College.
The first runner-up, Henschel Tabi Frempong-Manso, was presented with $900, a laptop, GH¢20,000 from the Agricultural Development Bank, and a desktop computer to his alma mater, Kade Senior High School.
The third-place winner, Debrah Benedict Ofori, also received $750, a laptop, GH¢15,000 from JayKay Industries and a desktop computer presented to his alma mater, Presbyterian Boys’ Senior High Technical School.
Mementoes were presented to their respective alma mater.
Awards were also presented to students who excelled in various programmes. They were Ameera Issifu, General Arts; David Nii Commey Ankrah, General Science; Uriel Yeboah, Business; and Virtues Akye Mensah, Visual Arts.
Commendation
The Head of National Office, WAEC, Dr Rosemond Wilson, and the Registrar to Council, Alhaji Pateh Bah, congratulated the candidates on their achievements, while urging teachers to foster integrity and leadership in students.
