SoNA 2021: Govt began full absorption of WASSCE registration fees in 2020 – Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has disclosed that his government has begun absorbing registration fees for candidates writing the West Africa Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) in public schools across the country.

According to the President, the absorption of WASSCE registration fees forms part of several interventions by his government at the Senior High School level.

Delivering the State of the Nation Address (SoNA) in Parliament on Tuesday, 9 March 2021, President Akufo-Addo said: “Government is facilitating the acquisition of 280,000 laptops for members of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers Association.”

He further disclosed that the Minister for education will soon “detail an action plan for the implementation of the National Teacher Policy.”

President Akufo-Addo added that: “Government has also introduced several interventions at the High School level, some of these are the GHS198 million academic intervention programme dedicated for extra classes for students in SHS.

“Implementation of free internet connectivity for secondary schools, full absorption of BECE registration fee for all for students in public junior high school from 2017 till date, and full absorption of WASSCE registration fees for students, which started last year.”

Meanwhile, the President has also revealed that government through the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) will introduce new measures to curb examination malpractice among examination candidates in the country.

“A key objective of our effort to improve quality education and ensure that our students become globally competitive is to maintain the integrity of our examinations and assessment.

“In connection with this, government, working through WAEC, will introduce new measures to curb examination leakages and malpractices,” Nana Akufo-Addo stated.