Gov’t spends GHC34.8m on Past Questions for 2021 WASSCE candidates

The Government has spent a whooping GHC34.8 million on purchasing past questions for 2021 WASSCE candidates under free SHS program.

According to the Minister of Education, Yaw Osei Adutwum, the ministry procured 446,954 sets of Past Questions at a Unit Price of GHC78.

Speaking to Parliament, the Minister said the Unit Price represents a 32% increase over the 2020 Unit Price of GHC59.

The ministry also reportedly received 416,060 Scientific Mathematical Instruments to the tune of GHS 31,204,500.00.

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Addressing parliament on Wednesday, July 14,  Mr. Adutwum indicated, “to help prepare the final year Senior High School students for the 2021 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), the Ministry has procured 446,954 Rst West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) questions from Messrs Kingdom Books and Stationery at a unit price of GHS 78.00. The procurement will be funded from the Free Senior High School Account.”

“Mr Speaker, in 2020, Government through its efforts to help students amidst COV1D-19 to prepare for the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) procured 568,755 past questions for students to try their hands on before sitting for the actual exams.”

He went on “the Ministry of Education contracted Messrs Kingdom Books and Stationery to supply 568,755 WASSCE past questions at a contract price of GHS 33,641,043.75. The procurement of these questions was funded through the Free Senior High School Account and the results of the 2020 WASSCE was tremendous compared to previous years’ WASSCE performance.”

“Mr Speaker, the procurement process for the supply of published textbooks to Basic Schools is currently ongoing. The Ministry placed an advert in the Ghanaian Times on 1st June 2020, where various publishers approved by NaCCA, submitted their books and relevant documents to be taken through a Pre-Qualification procurement process.”

The minister, however, noted that the Ministry constituted a team of experts to evaluate the submissions and make appropriate recommendations for engagement. The evaluation process has been completed and recommended books have been shortlisted.

Likewise,  the Education Ministry, in October 2019 “signed a contract with Messrs Bluegrass Group Limited to supply a total number of 853,009 Kapek Scientific Mathematical Instruments prescribed by the West Africa Examination Council for Seni(SMI)or High Schools at a unit cost of CHS 75.00.

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“The contract was amended and signed by both parties on 22nd October 2020 to extend the deadline for submission of the Mathematical Instruments to 19th January 2021. Messrs Bluegrass Group Limited has supplied 416,060 Scientific Mathematical Instruments to the tune of GHS 31,204,500.00 out of the total quantity to be supplied per the contract, hence breaching the contract under Section 24.1 (a) of the General Conditions of Contract (GCC). Due to this, the contract has been terminated.”